[lit-ideas] Re: Sunday Poem
- From: "Stan Spiegel" <writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 19:11:57 -0400
Mike - Boy, that was an affecting "poem," from your deliberately misleading
title to the warmth and affection your narrator feels for Mayo to the lack
of "poetry" in your poetry. It feels more like a short-short story than a
poem, yet I don't object to the way you've arranged it on the page. I think
it's a beauty. Thanks.
Stan Spiegel
Portland, Maine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "LIT-IDEAS" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 6:19 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Sunday Poem
> HE'S DEAD AND I'M GLAD OF IT
>
> Four-thirty Friday morning
> the alarm woke Sheila,
> Mayo's wife.
> It was time for one of his medicines,
> but she found him dead.
> She called me at seven.
> "God be praised",
> I wanted to say.
> The funeral, she said,
> would be Saturday afternoon.
> I was supposed to be a pall bearer.
> Except that I had no clothes to wear.
>
>
> Saturday morning I went shopping.
> I bought an $8 dollar navy blue sport coat
> from the Disabled American Veterans' Thrift Store
> on Summer Avenue. It almost fit.
> If I sucked my belly in, I could button it.
> But I left it open, knowing Mayo wouldn't mind.
> I had some black Dockers that, like all my pants,
> I had to turn the cuff up under two to three inches.
> But not this day. No, I would let the length go,
> hoping it might hide the white "Reebok"
> of my black tennis shoes.
> No such luck. The pants just scrunched up.
> "Reebok" shined like a neon sign.
> Mayo would have gotten a kick out of that.
>
> So he's now gone for good.
> No more of his lame puns
> like the one
> when his son
> took up lawn care.
> "Mower for your money"
> that was the motto.
> Mayo's contribution
> (besides the money
> -- always the money when it comes to Sonny.)
>
> I've liked him like
> I've liked vey few men.
> But I'm glad he's dead.
> Glad he's officially dead.
> He's been gone two months.
> disappearing into a laudanum cloud
> returning only to scream in pain.
> Yes, I'm very glad he's dead.
> He should be dead. Dead and buried.
> I glad.
> Glad that no one who loved him
> will ever have to hear again
> his screaming.
> I'm glad he died.
>
> I was proud to bear him away.
> Proud because I know
> he would have approved of
> my costume of
> respectability
> and known
> what a joke that was.
>
>
>
> Mike Geary
> Memphis
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