A List Of Complaints, Oh Sigh
Monday, May 5, 2008
I am always hungry,but when I eat, even if it is just a little bit,
I feel uncomfortably full,
and my belly distends.
There is this headache, too,
and sometimes it is so shrill
that I become dizzy and exhausted,
but most of the time it is dull and distant,
somewhere indistinct.
The wart on my foot defies all treatment,
and so does this seemingly permanent zit on my chin.
I am so thirsty,
and chilly water is nearly like dessert,
except then I have to pee,
which I find to be an annoyingly endless game of action and consequence.
I have popcorn husks stuck in my teeth
from a bowl of popcorn,
which was unsatisfying to eat
due to its healthful lack of enough butter.
The alarm clock's not gentle,
but then neither are dreams of loss, losing, and departure.
The warm weather is late, summer is short,
and winter is a bitter exercise in remembering to breathe.
The cirrus clouds were ugly today,
like old Halloween cobwebs with no will.
Not even the birds would go near them,
or maybe it was the unpredictable gusts of wind
which blew dust into my eyes that kept them out of the sky.
If only I could love my whining cat more
and afford a maid
and enjoy food and drink without fullness or evacuation
and never have winter or blistering August
and forget dentists
and ban household detritus
and get rid of cheap perfumes that make my eyes swell
and cure cancer
and wander around wherever I like
and get to ride trains for free
and institute three-day weekends
and lie around in a park in the shade of a tree
with a book and a pink lemonade
and watch the baby geese roll like dumplings
as their parents scuttle them away across the lawn,
then it would be that Tomorrow I keep hearing so much about.
Labels: the poetry
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9 comments:
Sigh. Unquenchable.
Post scriptum -- I always smile with delight when I encounter those playful, awkward little sunshine fluffballs each spring. Now I will have an even bigger grin. Nudged dumplings. How à propos. Thank you for making me laugh. I needed that today.
Even your whining is poetic and elegant. But I think you should print out a copy of this and take it to your doctor.
Witchypoo: Actually, I have a physical this afternoon, which is sort of what prompted the beginning of the poem.
Hey there,
I'm a big fan of yours in Charleston, SC. I live on the coast of the Atlantic ocean, and it's very warm here already. You are always welcome to come visit us in the lowcountry, stay at my place for free! I used to live in the cold climates of Applachia. Not like Canada, but still cold for a long time every year. I moved south because I just couldn't take the depression anymore. I'll try to send some sunshine your way! Hang in there and (((internet hugs))). Best Wishes, Poe
"...and wander around wherever I like
and get to ride trains for free and institute three-day weekends and lie around in a park in the shade of a tree..." There is a homeless man in Calgary who has this part down pat. I envy him. (I realize how imbecilic this sounds.)
bravo, dear schmutzie! this is just perfect. i like the part about cirrus clouds. oh, and i also drink an absurd amount of water every day, and the peeing thing ticks me right off. (i changed that from "pisses," for obvious reasons.) anyway, thanks for the day-brightener!
You have a lovely way with words. I love your poetry. Thanks for sharing it with us, famous blog nerd.
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Schmutzie also runs 