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Tom Yossarian Joad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 01:59 AM
Original message
here's sumpin.
EUFALA 1

Red woolen cap
with ragged pulls and tears smells of rain,
smeared with shit.

Matted hair, kinky, defying any comb,
smelling of mildew.
And occasionally drops,
in clandestine clumps.
And is never really missed

Her face is war torn wrinkles, mapping roads
from painful yesterdays to a numb today,
taking a reader deeper
than one would ever want to go.
Her eye-whites are yellow, with
a crusted yellow mucous that
cakes where sunshine strikes.
The amber crystals meet with
white crusted snot on an upper lip
over a permanent grin
of missing teeth and pyorrhea.
A broken nose
from a first husband, not centered.
smells the stench though.

Her shoulders curled
for fear and wear,
covered by salvation
army sweaters and
coat that once covered
the shoulders of women that wore Este Lauder.
now smelling
like the privates festering beneath skirt
and pants.
Not washed for months.
Legs shake and warp
the diet takes its toll.
And is turning her bones
into memories.

She sits in the park
in front of the swings
watching the children play,
and imagines a time
when her father would push (push)
her, oh, so high.
His strong hands (hands)
Would catch her (catch her)
slim waist, and push again
(not again).

And in her mind,
the swing would fly back again, to earth,
and start a return to sky, catching her father's
head with the rusty edge,
driving deep into his brain, smashing hard,
letting out the countless years of pain.
They spiral out, then cascade,
pouring out like springtime rain,
(faeries dancinq in delight,
Catchinq bits of brain in buttercups,
offerinq all to those who thirst)
touching everything,
but covering nothing.



EUFALA 2

You get used to pain.
And happiness belongs to the beholder.

syphilis takes a nibble.
a brain cell here and there.
Destroying hope and wonderment
withdrawing things that care.

Synaptic functions,
once quick, once true,
now kindly ignore
any darkened view.

Inurement to Reality gives joy.



Eufala 3

Corn, corn, cornucopious
dumpsters on the street
wafting scents of potato and roast
wet dreams of fresh cooked meat.


(all copyright 2003 and used by permission... me)
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TeeYiYi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 02:09 AM
Response to Original message
1. Wow. Billy . . .
. . . that's incredible. Has it been published?

TYY
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Tom Yossarian Joad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 02:13 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. Only the third little quatrain.... A little too down for most poetry
rags.


Thanks.
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TeeYiYi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 02:27 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. Very thoughtful and disturbing . . .
. . . do you know this woman? I do. I used to see her every day in downtown Salt Lake City on my lunch hours. She stood out because of the layer upon layer of clothing in 90 degree weather. It was either wear it or lose it I suppose. I've also seen different versions of her throughout the homeless community. I imagine her displaced and disheveled soul is popping up all over the BFEE these days. :(

TYY
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Tom Yossarian Joad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 02:29 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. Same person.... Only she lived in Atlanta.
That's one of those that physically hurt to write.
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TeeYiYi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 02:24 PM
Response to Original message
5. kick
TYY :kick:
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Tom Yossarian Joad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 03:29 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. thanks for the kick... Nice to know you appreciated it. n/t
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patdem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 03:42 PM
Response to Original message
7. Excellent, visual, viseral poetry...Thanks!
I have never seen that woman, I always drive quickly by, and never go downtown. I know she exists, she is always in the back of my mind and I know...there but for the grace of...whatever (my last paycheck) ...go I.

Thanks Pilgrim..or not?
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Tom Yossarian Joad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 05:03 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. Your welcome and thank you.
It's a piece I did about 15 years ago.

I saw her and her cart many mornings as I entered the Georgia Pacific building in Atlanta.
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Bertha Venation Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 03:45 PM
Response to Original message
8. Jesus.
Thanks for sharing this.
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Tom Yossarian Joad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-03-04 06:39 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. Welcome, Thank you.
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