Yesterday, 01:24 PM
On Phatic Speech
Small talk deserves more
hate. It grows around the ribs
like cancer, always some dull pressure to be satisfied
with less. Oh, it’s a beautiful day. The sun
is shining. Birds are singing. Yes, Suzanne, & what I’d like
to know is, how is this my fault?
I bumped into my ex of seven years
while shopping for a blender. He said, you haven’t aged
a day. I said, I’m shopping for a blender.
We were never quite in love, and I suspect
he knew this, which makes him
the bigger man. But at least
I won the rematch.
Seven years from now, my father will lie
back in his shrill hospice bed and ask about the hummingbirds.
Have they been visiting the feeder, it rained cats
& dogs last week you know. He can’t remember if he changed
their water. And I will do my duty, I will watch the only man
I ever loved lock eyes with death
and summarize the news.
Small talk deserves more
hate. It grows around the ribs
like cancer, always some dull pressure to be satisfied
with less. Oh, it’s a beautiful day. The sun
is shining. Birds are singing. Yes, Suzanne, & what I’d like
to know is, how is this my fault?
I bumped into my ex of seven years
while shopping for a blender. He said, you haven’t aged
a day. I said, I’m shopping for a blender.
We were never quite in love, and I suspect
he knew this, which makes him
the bigger man. But at least
I won the rematch.
Seven years from now, my father will lie
back in his shrill hospice bed and ask about the hummingbirds.
Have they been visiting the feeder, it rained cats
& dogs last week you know. He can’t remember if he changed
their water. And I will do my duty, I will watch the only man
I ever loved lock eyes with death
and summarize the news.