Poetry |




Kitchen Blues

Mom is cooking dinner and listening
to a Christian radio station
she sings along to the praising words
and looks skyward for answers

Laura called me one night
I was making a sandwich
she said I was a jerk about things
she said she only needed two people
none of which were me

I sat at the table eating Life cereal
on some bright Saturday morning
and watched the birds fly from
tree to tree to tree
I knew then that nothing is constant

My Grandparents drink meadow tea
and talk of the weather, people they know
and why everyone needs God
but they never really say anything
or listen

While she makes him dinner
Dean argues with Mom
over who should pay the insane
medical bills from his post-car crash hospital stay

It's four o'clock in the morning
twelve hours ago I started work
all I want now is food
but the refrigerator offers no hope
damn, now that's some blues