Sunday, July 20, 2014

Free


Late Sunday risers
consider briquettes.
Samples in paper cups. 
Frankfurters.  Beer.

Fresh from church,
a dressed couple prattle on
about which brand of chicken
they can afford.

She pokes her finger
in fleshy shrink wrap,
looks at him with spaniel eyes.
He thumbs a calculator.

All too happy not to be
duly plucked, pantyhosed,
bibled and heeled
I hum muzak,

toss a breast in the basket,
without discussing
price, or the freeness
of its range.



tk/July 2014


R.A.D. Stainforth enhances my words...with the addition of Stainforth Blue to his black and white world... 


18 comments:

  1. Had to smile at this, because of a true chicken story that happened at my house on Friday...Friends insisted on bringing a ready made, pic-nic lunch when they came to visit. But imagine their faces when my carving knife approached their chicken, and they heard me cry 'It's still raw, folks!' Hehehe! Thank goodness, a microwave's auto-cook button saved the day.
    Your poem could not have been more apt - especially the poke at the fleshy shrink wrap. LOL

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  2. I especially love the use of the word "prattle" one of those words we have set aside, it seems. Now I will be sure to use it at some point this week. At least once. :-)

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  3. loved the attitude you conveyed with this Tess..

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  4. You hit that just right! I don't want to see that couple and imagine the mottled skin and mottled minds!

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  5. Provocative and rather wise...

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  6. I love the 'attitude' here!!

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  7. oh couples can bicker over anything .. chicken or heaven dosnt matter ... :) cute poem!!

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  8. Joy Unfettered (err feathered)

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  9. Chicken discussions. Made think of my wife whom I have had many such chicken discussions. The writing also made me smile because of how close this writing hits home. Smiling is a good thing. Thanks.

    Excellent writing.

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  10. I love how you are not chicken to use the word frankfurter in your poem....couple prattle....I love to listen to it when I am out in public...it always makes me smile. :-)

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  11. I think your inner range is vast and invaluable , its produce totally organic !

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  12. Yes, I prefer free range people.

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  13. Replies
    1. But of course chicken is great too and loved your poem, Tess.
      I like the way R.A.D reads your work. . . . :)

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  14. 1. I love being panty-hose free almost as much as being un-bibled.

    2. I love the way Stainforth says "thumbs a calculator" as if he's saying "stick it up your arse".

    3. He should never wear anything but oversized shirts unbuttoned at the cuff... delicious!

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  15. I, too, like my chicken un-bibled; old meat, covered in I-must-have-this-must-do-that often kills.

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  16. This made me smile. I like the idea of her looking at him with "spaniel eyes" regarding a chicken :)
    ~Jen

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)