The tedium of walking on tippy toes
so the offensive won’t be offended
is not a gift I possess.
Oh, I can appear cuddly with the obtuse,
keep my eyes silent, my face a gentle petulant,
but too often they seem to forget boorish
will break the glass of jolly I have so patiently
kept half full.
Ignorance should never ring the doorbell
of my dark humor, or test the shellac
on my carefully manicured mood.
I love antiques, but have no desire
to live the crinoline politics of men
who are so fragile they succumb
to vapors at the thought of progress.
All the cosplaying Captain Fred Waterford’s
whine when I remind them Fred’s story
didn’t end well.
©Susie Clevenger 2024
"We only wanted to make the world better.
Better never means better for everyone.
It always means worse for some."
— Fred Waterford
Captain Fred Waterford is a character
in the book, Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood.
I appreciate your writing so much - so clever, I read with an appreciative smile. I certainly am hoping the next election will prevent the handmaid's tale from hapening in real life. We live in hope.
ReplyDeleteI lobed every word, from the offensive being offended to the manicured mood and finally to the slammed-door finish. Or should I say mic-drop?
ReplyDeleteLoved, not lobed
DeleteSusie, this is brilliant and such a fun experience to read! Your use of word craft and imagery is always spot on wonderful my friend! I think being able to stand strong on your views and not worry about shaking the cage is a sign of great strength and you are definitely a strong person!!
ReplyDeleteA deep and perceptive poem..I haven't read the book for a long time so appreciated the reference - Jae
ReplyDeleteLove that second stanza, and the strength of the narrator that runs through the whole poem. This is attitude with the grit to back it up, Susie, and I couldn't agree with you more.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed this! I also feel as though I walk on eggshells, not certain what subject to broach according to which group of friends I am with. 'break the glass of jolly' reminded me of 'marshing my mellow.'
ReplyDeleteThis: "Ignorance should never ring the doorbell" - wonderful.
ReplyDelete