Faults of my Mother

My mother was a wild one.

Beautiful.

Brilliant.

She knew to take care of herself.

Dutiful.

Resilient.

My grandmother told her

Now that she was grown

To go to college.

But instead

She took off on her own.

Once she found a place to live

She knew how to live right.

She slept the morn’

Worked the eve’

Then partied every night.

And then she met a man.

Charming.

Resourceful.

He knew how to win her.

Disarming.

Forceful.

He was as handsome as they came.

He made his mark by theft.

Yet being with him
My mother felt

She would not be bereft.

He stole from her and hit her

Yet they did not grow apart.

She saw in him

Someone who cared.

For that, she gave her heart.

They had me as their baby girl.

Beaming.

Smiling.

A hope for a better future.

Dreaming.

Beguiling.

But my dad went to prison

For a hold-up with a gun.

He called my mother

From his cell

Not to tell her what he’d done.

Instead he threatened her

That he wanted custody

Of me when

He got out

Or it would get bloody.

Grandma knew mom would come back.

Sad.

Disappointed.
She’d have to help support us both.

Mad.

Disjointed.

We got a room at grandma’s and

A restraining order found.

Mom got some loans.

Went to college.

Turned her life around.

Mom wants to protect me so

Can’t spend much time with friends.

Only go out

On Saturdays.

Leave at six, back at ten.

But then I met this boy at school.

Dark.

Mysterious.

He knows what life is really like.

Stark.

Serious.

I feel all alone because

My mom is so demanding

But this boy

Is the only one

Who really understands me.

Even though he hits me

We’ll never grow apart.

I know he loves me

Deep inside

So I’ll give him my heart.

A Poem Without Rhyme

Is a poem still a poem

If it does not rhyme?

On the one hand, I am very tempted to say no.

If a poem doesn’t have any rhyming in it,

All you would have to do to write one

Is write some rambling prose

And then organize that

Into a series of lines

To get the most

Drama from

Every

Single

Word.

On the other hand,

I still want to say yes.

There must be some ideas,

Feelings,

And experiences

That rhyme and rhythm would undermine.

Example:

Some would consider it

Poetical abuse

If Robert Frost always tried

To write like Doctor Suess.

If it does not rhyme,

Is it still a poem?

It’s a tough choice to make.

A choice I will make

When I am a better poet.

Message from eBay user

Message from eBay user

PowerBuyer95:

“I’ve had to wait the full three days

For my item to arrive.

I know that’s what the description said

Was the expected wait,

But all good eBay sellers know

To aim before that date.

That kind of service is best described

As only “adequate.”

My feedback’s three stars out of five;

You were far from excellent.”

Message from eBay user

Newbieseller28:

“I’m so sorry to hear about

Your very lengthy wait.

Between Paypal and UPS

There was some kind of mix-up

Which I was making many calls

‘Til yesterday to fix up.

I used overnight shipping

Which heavily raised the cost

But I wanted to be very sure

No time on you’d be lost.

I humbly ask you to reconsider

The feedback you’d be giving

Since eBay’s really all I have;

It’s how I make a living.”

Message from eBay user

PowerBuyer95:

“I don’t know how, as an eBay seller

You expect to survive

When you have terrible product

On top of terrible service.

That there are people like you out there

Makes me a little nervous.

I bought from you these whitening strips

Which I am not enjoying

‘Cause they’re supposed to make teeth white,

But instead they are annoying.

I swallow them when eating,

They break my brush when brushing,

And the fact that my teeth aren’t any whiter

Is more than a little crushing.

I suggest before you sell things

That you first make sure they work.

My feedback’s now one star of five

For you being such a jerk.”

Message from eBay user

Newbieseller28:

“I’m sorry to hear your experience

With the whitener isn’t great.

I’ve used those strips to cover up

My plaque and gingivitis

But you should read the instructions

If you want to gain some whiteness.

Before eating and brushing teeth,

You’re supposed to remove it.

And the whitening strips need more than a day

For your teeth to show improvement.

It’s an easy mistake to make, but I

Can fix this conflict of ours.

I’ll refund all your money if

You’ll give me back those stars.

And that toothbrush that you said you broke?

I’m replacing it for free

So that you will not think of your

Purchase resentfully.”

Message from eBay user

PowerBuyer95:

“THANKS TO YOU, MY ORAL HEALTH

JUST TOOK A GIANT DIVE!!!

MY MOUTH TASTES LIKE A BOWL OF DIRT!!!

I FORM CLOUDS WITH MY SNEEZES!!!

AND MY DENTIST DIAGNOSED ME WITH

AT LEAST THREE GUM DISEASES!!!

I’VE BEEN USING THAT TOOTHBRUSH

YOU SENT A FEW WEEKS BACK

AND NOW MY TEETH ARE COVERED IN

ALL KINDS OF GERMS AND PLAQUE!!!

SO NOW, TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF

THE DAMAGE THAT YOU’VE DONE,

I’VE JUST REVISED YOUR FEEDBACK FROM

THE FULL FIVE STARS TO NONE!!!”

Message from eBay user

Newbieseller28:

“I made sure that the toothbrush worked.

No need to be irate.

Your oral faults lie somewhere else.

This I can guarantee.

I know that toothbrush worked just fine

‘Cause it always worked for me.”

New Year's Eve

I’m at a party on New Year’s Eve

It’s better than I’d guessed

I’m in the kitchen, back to counter

Taking time to rest

People are around me

Happy, drunk, and dancing

I share their joy and smile as

The New Year is advancing

A pretty girl stands next to me

Back against the counter

I look at her, and then look back;

No male friends around her.

I’d think I’d like to talk to her

And maybe get to know her,

We could take this rush into the

New Year a little slower

And yet I fear that if I speak

That I will drop the ball

A humiliating talk with her

Is worse than none at all

I remain there on the counter

And convince myself that I

Can collect myself and talk to her

If I give myself more time.

But as I fumble with my thoughts

The counter gets more crowded

Another man speaks to the girl

With a friendly way about him

I find the girl is kind and gentle

As I hear her tell her name

I wonder, had I spoke to her

If she’d have spoke to me the same

They grow close in conversation

He asks her for a dance

Her face lights up: the beginnings of

A possible romance

The Eve’s countdown begins

And as I watch them go

I wonder how things could have been

‘Cause now I’ll never know