Molly Goatwax

Three Chairs by the Side of The Road

Look familiar?

 

Bukowski's Broken Shoelace

The chirping from the smoke detector that annoyed to distraction for weeks turned out to be on my property, in the upper reaches of the vacant unit above us. I asked he-who-climbs-ladders to please change the battery. So, after another week or so hubby mounted the steps with a nine volt and silenced the offending unit. I was both grateful and mystified that none of our neighbors said anything, but they are all so polite they put up wind chimes instead. A day later I heard the chirping again. Then it stopped. After a while the chirping sounded from the other side of the house. It became slightly irregular but at the same high pitched tone and length, the same chirp that had been eminating from the rafters for so long. I've been watching too much sci-fi, I thought as I pondered the descent into madness. Then! I saw the mocking bird who was trying to court the dying smoke detector! Thankfully for my jangled nerves the bird gave up and changed its tune...after a few more days. Now it's wind chimes disturbing my peace.

Public Flannel

  Yesterday someone denuded

the fire hydrant on the corner

    of the sweaty abandoned shirt

I had so carefully buttoned

   around it the day before.

I think it must have belonged to

 an overheated masonry man;

   the devil behind the wheel

of a rusting muscle mobile.

Today, passing by the hydrant

   I notice the shirt had been

   buttoned back into place.

 

 

Not Happy.

I had a birthday. Then, my elder daughter had a birthday. I turned into the schmuck mom of the year when her day came and went and I forgot to call her up. Since the east coast was stormed in last weekend, the visitors I had expected canceled. Rejection notices came in for my painting submissions. Still sore from the holiday gift of hernias, I felt pretty darn low so I fell asleep. I slept most of the weekend. I kept putting off calling my daughter. In my defense, Hubby said I had forgotten several of his birthdays. He put it down to brain damage from all the tumors. I'm not happy.

Martha