Between worry and demand

[dcmarti1]

Between worry and demand

Reading Exile and the Kingdom in the Republic of Texas.....

Between worry and demand there is
your neighbor drug dealer, the one
who is a Neo-Con, the one
who rails against Obama
(for the obvious reason)
and Commie health care,
but who coos at the babies of his clients.

Between worry and demand there is
your illegal in-law cottage
which, at least, has a toilet,
but pales in its mimicry
of the Capitol pied-a-terre
or the two bedroom flat with red
walls and European roommates.

Between worry and demand there is
the persistent Bermuda grass,
the improperly sloped back yard,
and the curious police who stop
to watch you, the known liberal nut
who believes in global warming,
use your Scott's push-reel mower.

Between worry and demand there is
the consolation of laundry,
the giant sized container of Sun
detergent for 120 loads,
the giant size box of dryer sheets,
and the two laundry baskets:
one dirty, one clean.

Between worry and demand there is
the working-class luxury
of Dollar Tree lotions, Fleurs d'Iris
and Vanille Sucre Brun,
and their sister shower gels
which must be used in secret
so they won't know you're a fairy.

Outside of worry and demand there is
only exile, never a kingdom.

[dr_con]

A beautiful and painful moment. In California for a month during Pride, and between worry and demand dOes not go away! It's a universal poem garbed in locality. As true as it is beautiful. Well done, and thanks for that slice of 'true' life...

 

Juris

[dcmarti1]

Slice of life.....Emile Zola. Hey, with Zola and Camus, how can one go wrong? (Exile and the Kingdom is a set of short stories by Camus -- daunting, confusing, introspective. Fiction meets existentialism. Wow.)

 

Thanks, times three. Hey, check that mouse. ;)

[Benjamin]

Agree with Juris re: an excellent universal poem. It prompts me towards 'cause and effect' ---and to think how bland the world would be without human aspirations both positive and negative.

[tonyv]

Way to capture the time and place, Marti. It's much of middle America.

 

I would alter the last lines to this:

 

Outside of worry and demand there is
exile but never a kingdom.

or this:

 

Outside of worry and demand there is
only exile, never a kingdom.

Great work!

 

Tony