Sloth

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BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Sloth

#1 Post by BobBradshaw » 19 Aug 2020, 03:01

Sloth

My mother-in-law
says I have no more ambition
"than a sloth on holiday."

She sighs. "If only you were a sloth...
then I'd only see you once
a week—climbing down

from your dreamy heights."
She can't forgive me for carrying
her only child off.

She sneers at my clothes
as if she were the CEO of Prada--
and me the heavy guy in a Dead t-shirt

lifting her garbage can by the curb.
"Do you think you can cut your toenails?"
she winces, disgusted

at my fungus growing feet.
If I approach she thrusts her arm out--
to “Stop”. Is she afraid

that if she touches me
a thousand moths will fly out
of my grungy coat?

She had such high hopes
for her daughter marrying
an engineer, a doctor, someone else...

Who wants a dirty
arborist for a son-in-law?
The day I trim her trees,

lopping branches off,
feeding leaves and bark
into a wood chipper, even

then she grinds her teeth
like a chainsaw. But at least
she doesn’t complain…why?

I do it for free. Slowly I climb
again up through the branches,
escaping her voice,

breathing freely again,
as the light--like a hundred moths--
flutters up around me.

Michael (MV)
Posts: 2154
Joined: 18 Apr 2005, 04:57

Re: Sloth

#2 Post by Michael (MV) » 21 Aug 2020, 16:22

Hi Bob,

not so slothful after all

😎

Michael

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