Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Ice Cream Walk

You never know how it's going to go.
Early evening, book aside, tv on,
dog asleep and smiling,

I went all zen over the ice cream tub.
Too much for one time, but 
not enough left for later.
It's like someone in your bed asleep-- a familiar sweetness
that disappoints unannounced.

There's someone else,
or you're someone else from who they thought.
The door closes, the tv blathers on,
the dog goes or stays, the book marker is lost.
Better have all the caramel cookie dough now.

So I couldn't sleep, after.
After what? 
After any of it.
It made my stomach hurt, so I put the dog on his leash
and took a turn around the neighborhood in the dark.
He was hot on the trail of something--
I know the feeling.

The further we went, the less sure I felt.
It seemed like a good idea at the time--how often have I said that?
Passing the light manufacturing strip
with its trailer offices and loading docks,
an acorn fell on a tin roof like an angry word.
The street lights were impassive.
I walked faster--no objection from the dog.

Here we are, I said, home in sight.
Crossing the tot park, my dog searched for nightcats,
I watched for pervs or stoned teenagers
on the swings,
in the shadows. 
Three houses up, lights on inside--
We're waiting for us, in there,
our other selves who go shhh shhh shhh
like I've heard that mothers do, when things go wrong in the night.
_______

for Sanaa's "Of Muse & Me" at Real Toads.

7 comments:

  1. Gosh this is beautifully evocative!💘 I love "There's someone else, or you're someone else from who they thought" and can relate to "the book marker is lost. Better have all the caramel cookie dough now. So I couldn't sleep, after." What I love most about this poem is that its both fierce and tender at the same time. It deals with our everyday life - the things we do, how we feel about stuff happening around us.. and so much more! Thank you so much for participating, Shay💘

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  2. I was right there with you - the too much or not enough, the not being who someone thought us to be, fine specimens that we are notwithstanding.....the walk on the edge of uneasiness at all that lurks in the darkness. Thank God for the dogs of the world, I say, who show us what true acceptance, devotion and unconditional love really feels like.

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  3. Utterly brilliant. Beyond words to the spaces between breathing.

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  4. '..an acorn fell on a tin roof like an angry word...' That is so you, Shay, to throw in a glittering line like that offhand, a casual glimmering in a night-dark mood of uneasiness and dissatisfaction--what do we fear more, I wonder, the shadow, or the thing itself we never get around to naming? This is just fine, evocative writing. I felt as if I were there.

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  5. Been there, walked that, felt there. I was there with you. Good write!

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  6. i agree with hedgewitch '...an acorn fell on a tin roof like an angry word...' only you could imagine that, Shay. brilliant!

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