Unblemished (revision)
Posted: 09 Oct 2018, 21:49
Revision-
She inherited an inferior mind,
a flat pock marked face
she dusts with cheap powder,
an expressionless stare
she smears with mascara.
The scratches and scars
on her forearms and legs
are anxious and angry,
the roll of her belly
is white and unblemished.
Wheeling a cart down the aisles
of Walmart she searches for bread,
American cheese
and generic bologna.
Sidestepping puddles
she clutches her bag
walks to a trailer park
three blocks away.
Layers of cardboard are taped
to her windows. The refrigerator
no longer makes ice,
cupboard doors are loose
or not there at all.
Old country records are stacked
on the floor, the needle is dropped
on a slow cowboy waltz.
From her chair she thinks
about when life begins,
two feral cats
and a broken TV.
Original-
She inherited an inferior mind,
a flat pock marked face
she dusts with cheap powder,
an expressionless stare
she smears with mascara.
The scratches and scars
on her legs and forearms
are anxious and angry,
the roll of her belly
is white and unblemished.
Wheeling her cart
through the aisles of Walmart
she searches for bread,
American cheese
and generic bologna.
A man buying roses
is annoyed with her coupons
and food stamps
steps out of line
and moves to another.
She clutches her bag
and walks down the side of the road
to a trailer park three blocks away.
Her rubber soled shoes
climb the cinder block steps,
broken windows are covered
with cardboard and tape.
She flips on a light,
dead spiders and flies
appear in the amber.
A black and white cat
leaps to the counter.
A needle is dropped
on a slow country song.
She slumps in a chair, thinks
about when life begins,
her future spinning away,
a bottle of booze
and a broken TV.
She inherited an inferior mind,
a flat pock marked face
she dusts with cheap powder,
an expressionless stare
she smears with mascara.
The scratches and scars
on her forearms and legs
are anxious and angry,
the roll of her belly
is white and unblemished.
Wheeling a cart down the aisles
of Walmart she searches for bread,
American cheese
and generic bologna.
Sidestepping puddles
she clutches her bag
walks to a trailer park
three blocks away.
Layers of cardboard are taped
to her windows. The refrigerator
no longer makes ice,
cupboard doors are loose
or not there at all.
Old country records are stacked
on the floor, the needle is dropped
on a slow cowboy waltz.
From her chair she thinks
about when life begins,
two feral cats
and a broken TV.
Original-
She inherited an inferior mind,
a flat pock marked face
she dusts with cheap powder,
an expressionless stare
she smears with mascara.
The scratches and scars
on her legs and forearms
are anxious and angry,
the roll of her belly
is white and unblemished.
Wheeling her cart
through the aisles of Walmart
she searches for bread,
American cheese
and generic bologna.
A man buying roses
is annoyed with her coupons
and food stamps
steps out of line
and moves to another.
She clutches her bag
and walks down the side of the road
to a trailer park three blocks away.
Her rubber soled shoes
climb the cinder block steps,
broken windows are covered
with cardboard and tape.
She flips on a light,
dead spiders and flies
appear in the amber.
A black and white cat
leaps to the counter.
A needle is dropped
on a slow country song.
She slumps in a chair, thinks
about when life begins,
her future spinning away,
a bottle of booze
and a broken TV.