Miss America
Perfect blonde beauty it seems;
Disturbed and disarranged
By dark insistent dreams.
Wandering in the prairie grass
With a good sharp knife at her hip;
A pebble tied behind her ear
And her favorite brand of gloss upon her lip.
What do you think of the venue, the stage?
I want to burn them.
What do you think of settlers and sage?
I want to burn them.
Miss America
Dreams of dogs following her like stars;
Then rides to the hotel
With three other girls in a rented car.
The emcee asks, tell us, dear,
What would you like to say to these lovely people here?
But Miss America says nothing at all,
Just swiftly, silently, cuts off his ear.
What do you think of the rolling plains?
I want to walk there and hear the wind sigh.
What do you think of the sun, the snows, the rains?
I want them to kiss and cover me;
Kiss and cover me when I die.
_________
Please tell me that you--like Aaron Sorkin at his "best"--take hallucinogenic drugs that enable you to write like THAT every day. Please tell me there is a magic mushroom for me...
ReplyDeleteThis reads like a song, Shay. And what a Miss America! Makes me wonder what lurks beneath those perfect facades.
ReplyDeleteWowzers, another total zinger. The cutting off of the ear is a wonderful jolt. But I most love the murmuring lines "I want to walk there and hear the wind sigh" and "Kiss and cover me when I die."
ReplyDeleteSigh. Your writing is a constant amazement. Tell me again why you're not famous?
I like!
ReplyDeleteLet's burn them.
Imagine how many years Miss America held it all in before things fell apart...
ReplyDeleteI love your voice and the new look of your blog (the coffee banner is so inviting...).
ReplyDeleteA comment on your font choice, though--I like the look of it, but it was a little hard to read your poem (because it is in all caps). It is a teeny bit distracting from your great lines...).
I would pay good money to see this happen!
ReplyDeleteI want to cut somebody's ear off.
ReplyDeleteNow that's my kind of Miss America.
Love this ..
ReplyDeletecuts his ear off...perhaps then they will really listen...may you find prairies and kisses and sighs on the wind...
ReplyDeletePretty cool, FB. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this one Shay, and, of course, the cutting off the ear part.
ReplyDelete:D xx
My favorite part is the interview--the obligatory trivial chit chat Q&A of a pageant, transposed to something much more fundamental and infinite...that's just one of many ways you've spun everything we know on its ear (as it were) in this piece. Excellent stuff, especially mentally appealing after a frazzled morning.
ReplyDeleteShaaaaY! I been missing ya!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so wow. Love that poem. I'd cut his ear off too.
LOL! Cutting off that ear made me laugh aloud, Shay! This "dark insistent dream" is a fantastic unveiling of the facade of "beauty" and reveals the darkness that lurks among "pretty girls." In my mind, it's a darkness that is sorta beautiful in and of itself, as those final lyrical lines suggest. Always a pleasure to read your poetry!
ReplyDelete