Torment storms turn light into darkness
A once-bustling steel city now drowns in feebleness
Meanwhile, data centers are on the rise
Yet, there is no power-only murky water, noisome refrigerators, and teary eyes
Looters punching the clock and going to work
Nights and days are frightening with lingering pain and hurt
Stirring echoes of Katrina making its way through the Midwest
Scary. Very scary tensions for all the residents of a city in unrest
She never cleans me
I thought he might break down and do it
Because I have seen him wash up the microwave
And yesterday he rinsed the sink
I am smelly, sticky, and irritated.
There is crusty gunky stuff in my basement
Drips of ketchup and syrup have hardened on my shelves
I feel disrespected, dishonored, disheveled
And I am disgusted
Here he comes to get something
If I could hide it I would,
Maybe it would force him to clean me
Deep sigh as he rumbles around in the Tupperware
He finally locates the cheese that he wanted
Why don’t you say something? Milk demands.
I don’t talk human, I tell him.
None of the refrigerators do.
I have come to take the cure, I said.
I heard it is easy, and practically painless.
The ultimate forever end-of-the-end-cure? She asked.
I nodded my head. Yes!
And how will you be paying?
I am delighted! This is the place.
I had heard that it was, but you can never be sure.
Do you want a cremation? Or shall we just toss you over the cliff?
I peer over the cliff. There are lots of things down there
Cars, trucks, refrigerators, hope chests, an old safe
Can you go over the hill without all that armor?
Oh, sure. It’s no extra cost to toss you in a frig though.
To be tossed into a frig. Hm… That might be nice.
Do you have any pink refrigerators?
I think we might. Just a second. I will check.
Sam, do we have any pink refrigerators?
No, but there is a little pink Corvette we could toss her in.
All the better. I hand over my credit card.
She asks me for my car keys too.
Why?
Because you won’t be needing it, right?
Right.
A big guy comes in demanding to have his wife’s car keys.
To the pretty pink Corvette?
He nods his head.
Sorry, it has gone over the hill.
She winks at me.
I
It is a new day, before 2, after midnite
It is dark, humid. We have fans, quiet
So too refrigerators, AC, & soon, phones
As it looks likely, the blackout goes on
II
It was so hot & humid, I went outside
Took a plastic chair, a break from inside
Watched faint glows from white farms
As steady rain falls, fog it's art performs
I didn't know your name was joy
something I never found in my toolbox
or between the medicine packs
in the kitchen cupboard
time to replace the wrong things
that I threw on the shelves of illusion
because a shy sun dares through the clouds
just now that I tasted sugar
at the end of bitter coffee
I must apologize to myself
I thought happiness
it was just another plastic word
created to sell insurance and refrigerators
when I saw your face smiling
through the windshield
next to the gas station pump
I already knew I was doomed
to our love's death row
The life of our gallantries
Risky is my everyday devotion
Serving for the nation
Chanting my military incantation
Sacrifice my life and image to my nation
Sparking to burn for others
To Safeguard mothers and fathers
Fighting for sisters and brothers
Forgetting like we don't have closer's
You spend time with child and wife
I spend mine with my gun and knife
Your hustle for a colourful life
I struggle for your safety life
Many died in this world of infantry
While some died in line of duty
Stored in refrigerators of mutuary
My name constantly bear fallen military
All those are not dearly and scary
Remembering those days of mockery
I shout to ease boredom and loneliness
But you called it cheating and foolishness
It's neither drugs nor ridiculousness
To me it's my way not a craziness
We always remained loyal to order
Following the lead of our commander
I feel proud in camour and even bolder
We are family regardless of who is older
©®Ibrahim's_wisdom
D kept in the fridge
Fully damaged
While shifting to refrigerator
The summer day is so hot
friends stay away.
I can picture them-
like me-
leaning into open refrigerators
and freezers
with frozen chicken,
hamburger,
Minute Maid.
We breathe the air
and fan the coolness
into ourselves.
We are not at all
thinking of wives or children
who try to sleep in the heat.
These moments are only for us,
the stolen coolness for us.
The appliance for food,
the cool air, accidental.
We stay apart
until the sun fades
and then with bottles of beer
begin our exaggerations
each one.
Looking at appliances
(My fridge is on the fritz)
I noticed there are trends to which
Each company commits.
For kitchen items mostly come
In silver stainless steel,
A modern look that to my taste
Does not have much appeal.
I like refrigerators
That are plain and simply white,
Though finding one to fit has been
A disappointing plight.
At last a few have surfaced
Which is cause for some bravado
Yet I’d settle for the stainless
More than gold* or avocado*!
*popular appliance colors in the 1960’s
I watch talented chefs on tv
And how they make it look so easy
Massive walk-in refrigerators
Recipes for bold innovators
Freshest produce exotic and rare
Excessive abundance they do prepare
Combining components with finesse
Topping lush dishes with watercress
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Submitted on July 15, 2019 for contest CORNUCOPIA COOKING sponsored by CHANTELLE ANNE COOKE - RANKED 4TH
Data, social media, hardware, cyberbullying, software, internet connection, zip drive.
If the people who had to throw out pianos from covered wagons opened their ears to our world of today and heard our current speak,
they would probably believe that they have awoken on a different planet, one with an odd new language.
Can you fathom what they would think when they hear us banty about words like computer, telephone, digital reality, video games, refrigerators,
Electricity, Chryslers, Fords, Chevys, Jeeps, and Buicks?
A glimpse of a turned on TV set would probably have them climbing back into their wagon to hide under grandma’s lovingly made blanket, to pray that it would
go away.
Which makes me wonder, what was their word for glitzy and awesome?
As culture changes and evolves, so do our words.
the republic rears beef cattle
feeds so well dairy ones
and calves are so fat
slaughters them often
but does not sell
does not eat any
does not export anyway
buries carcasses
in hot refrigerators
To catch a critter and insect un like no other not your friendly ladybug or caterpillar no Charlotte webs with a message written in the middle the presentation of poverty hood gutter black nasty un speakable the shame of inviting somebody over to see one these nasty mother***ers playing ring around the rosey on the top of your cup holder the nastiest shade of brown color with five to ten legs underneath their tin see through shell even raid was like all hell! reach for a dish and all hail a whole family reunion who want a roomate them what that says about you your crazy lazy or nasty with no shame and no matter how you explains it you will forever hold this 'l' they run off friends 'f's up shoes corners lives behind stoves refrigerators and bread covers either move or you join them and take over.
My stomach twists,
Empty.
I'll run to forget the pain,
Busy.
Drinking water helps,
Better.
I go home and shower,
Clean.
My reflection catches my eye,
Fat.
I look away,
Shame.
I flip on the TV.
Bored.
Victoria's Secret ad comes on,
Curious.
Their bodies chiseled into perfection,
Jealous
Tv turned off,
Wishing.
Empty refrigerators will stay,
Almost.
Next workout to burn off more,
Thin.
My stomach wrenches,
Empty.
blueberries are not an option
oversize strawberries, maybe.
16 pack
of pop-tarts
the workers look worried
or weary
worn down by the woman who taps on her wrist-watch
with her forefinger
her painted mask forms a frown
her eyebrows are more aggressive
flashing lights
spilled onto the glossy floor tiles
the shelves are soaked in strange
i am invisible
avoiding intentional eye-contact
content to be
a casual observer
unnoticed by an acquaintance
out of context
unaccustomed to our bodies without barriers
beside the cereal boxes i wonder
if i look different behind bullet-proof glass
fat-free or chocolate 2%
there is no middle-ground
but i prefer the color blue to brown
so the choice is made easier
by arbitrary affections
this is where college students
collect the contents of their refrigerators
this is where bananas
are available after midnight
on a thursday
or is it friday?
all i can say is that it doesn’t matter much
in this fluorescent fantasy land
everything is affordable
especially time
because wages are waning
and the hunger will never cease.
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