She built a doorway of hard-done-by and walked straight into it,
then said she'd been beaten by the future.
She placed a putty god in a mushroom soup sky
like a bumper sticker on a car made of wind.
Go, Betty, Our Lady of the Tinkertoy Triptych.
It's sad magic to watch a woman become an infant,
plastic ring on a tiny fat hand, teething on the little vile grenades
she treats like dollies, dumb scapegoats to blame for her dead dandelion smile.
______
for The Sunday Muse #212.
Holy s*t! That is so, so good. Every line a hard slap. But the heart of it: "It's sad magic to watch a woman become an infant" Lord. And "bumper sticker on a car made of wind." Doesn't get any better than that.
ReplyDeleteI second the holy s#*t! These lines definitely deliver a sting! Profound and bitter truths many don't want to hear but need to!! Love this Shay and I am always delighted when you write a poem for the Muse!!
ReplyDeleteEach word like a grenade, lobbed perfectly. A poem with verbiage so unexpected and incomparable that "holy sh*t" is the only appropriate response. Just fantastically good.
ReplyDeleteThe video is beyond awesome ... I saved it! And the poem ???!!!! Holy shit is more than appropriate. I love where your mind/brain take you. (you are funny too)
ReplyDeleteAnd its a holy shit from me too ...
ReplyDeletePoor Betty indeed. Beaten by the future, and dead dandelions in her smile. Vigorous and vivid imagery, as always Shay.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredible, Shay! The images you paint to depict futility (or perhaps they're riddles I've yet to decipher) is like downing an exquisite shot of whisky. It was pure fire and you just want another shot. My favourite lines:
ReplyDelete"She built a doorway of hard-done-by and walked straight into it,
then said she'd been beaten by the future." - what an astounding first line! I want to read the novel about Betty with this first line. I imagine she finally gets something right in the end but the tragedy is she never gets to know about it.
"a bumper sticker on a car made of wind"
"Our Lady of the Tinkertoy Triptych"
<3
"like a bumper sticker on a car made of wind" wow, great line, all these lines are good, but that one i really like
ReplyDelete