No one worries about Hell
during all this rain. Nothing burns.
We drive past the trailer park
—they have no teeth, but
they have bullets.
Every day is New Years,
shooting their guns up
towards a god that they denounce.
But, just in case, they shoot their guns.
Maybe I have a half-sister in there.
Caught in her dementia
of being young or old.
My dad got around;
a delivery driver of baked goods.
His no-doors panel truck
emitting invisible clouds
of aromatics.
Bread, pies, cigarettes.
He liked that job, because
he could rock out to music.
The good stuff, from
the good ol’ days.
He’d rip out a cassette
and jam another in
—can’t get too predictable.
The women liked him mysterious.
My little house is
the one behind the greens;
Palm trees, pines, shrubbery.
Never thought of it
as camouflage, until
you pointed it out.
Like how I wear my hat down
over my face, and now
grow a salt and pepper mustache.
The beard is already pre-gray’d,
as I prepare for my last laps
with the human race.
You asked me, why do I hide so, but
I just don’t like to stand out.
So here we are, waiting for Heaven,
I think we are supposed to be bare
of doubts and fear, and clothes.
I put my hat on the hook
by the door, and you say
that you want a hat too,
to share the hook.
Symbolic during the lack of marriage.
Yet if we survive this, I’ll
get you a ring someday.
Like mimes, we act out
our definition of love.
I should’ve warned you, about
the trash-truck at four a.m.
That screech and the groan
confusing us from each other’s moans.
But it won’t last long,
they’ll be gone, and
we will still be lingering
-my hand caressing your hip
as you tell me about
a dream you had.
The one where the moon itself
admitted that it used to be an ugly,
jealous girl. Envied you.
So God took it away to sulk.
And it always cries now, hidden,
when it rains.
I’m wondering if this is a good time
to tell you that I love you.
— As the neighbor yells louder
than her dog, for it to quiet down.
So I settle, telling you
that I love your long hair,
as I tuck my face under your chin.
~~~
I love this title:)
Reading this made me sigh. Especially the ending.
We’ve both been in those positions. Me under your chin or you under mine.
The special moments of communication without words. Sometimes we need no words.
Hence the sighing!
You are an amazing writer baby.
In the meantime of heaven – between you and me – those moments are GOLDEN!
I just edited it a bit.
Like I said, you and I have a lot of separation times, so the waiting to be together can make little things irritating, hence some of the details in here. Then, being together is the payoff, Heaven! It’s our life within this circle of it all. For now!
You are amazing, all around! I love you!
Powerfully penned, Mark. Excellent storytelling my friend this is an amazing write. Great detail as well. Appreciate you.
Damian
It was a yucky, rainy day, and this write developed out of that. I tweaked it over several hours, of walking away and coming back to it. Which I rarely do really. I guess I’m in a phase or something. LOL
Thank you Damian. You rock!
Epic & not only that, not a word out of place .. Bravo my friend .. Neville ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍
I appreciate that, Neville. I am very bad at not knowing when to cut a write off. It’s my story telling coming through and not so much me being a poet. I’m still trying, though, to make it worth the reader’s time. So thank you for the time and the comment amigo.
Blue-collar or otherwise, you are a fantastic writer Mark. I adore how you two catalogue your love too, in the minutiae of everyday existence.
Not sure our class systems equate, but I’m indelibly stained with working class ink. My first love was a lawyer, and boy, did she move in upper class circles. It took me sometime to accept my presence in their world. Ironically, she dumped me for an Irish ruffian of crime. ‘C’est la vie’ as they say somewhere.
Thanks Rob. I’ve lived in a trailer park back in the day. I’ve ran the gamut of highs and lows with money, and even in life.
Yet writing can help elevate ourselves towards a brighter outlook. “Write it real” as I’ve said before.
Del and I are both very down to earth about things. Life can be pretty awesome without inventing fantasy expectations. LOL.
I love how you describe what is going on around you but your still in the present with the person you love.
Much of what I write is expansive creative writing. Visions perhaps. It’s like living a life within it. Obviously some is taken from real life, just tied into one piece. But yeah, we all know who the female subject is! LOL
Someday I may post my (long!) short story…
Thank you Fia for the nod!
I love the words take time to describe their journey into the story.
I love my little prose pieces far more than “poetry”. It is my niche I guess. And I try to bring it full circle, usually. Little tie ins throughout the write. Eventually I will put it all together into a book. I’m slow! LOL
I understand the term blue-collar writer. I think I would have phrased it as every man writer. Relatable and not snobby. You have the spirit of a storyteller, I think
Thanks Willow. Much of life is common things for all of us. How we see it, and how we react to it makes us unique I guess. I’ve always been very observant to all around me. Stimuli overload never happens. Getting into descriptive writes is the cool part, hopefully. I do enjoy writing a lot. Most of us do huh!
We love the piece dude, but most of wat we love is your remembering your pop. You do that on several of your pieces and we see that as love. Tight
Hey dude!
My dad was obviously a big influence as I grew up, even though he was not always around. It’s like he was just enough. And, he loved to read poetry and also write it sometimes. So I guess I picked up his pen, so to speak. he was also very encouraging, which helped too. The first time I was published (in a small time mag), he acted like it was the best thing ever. LOL. I guess he was pretty cool, all in all.
It’s the pacing, the nuance…articulating details of life so vividly
while interweaving emotions with a down-to-earth sincerity
just all-around proficient writing
much respect
Naaj
I’m hopefully learning to be a better writer as I go along. It’s hit or miss for all of us, I know. As long as I don’t become too mundane, I’m seeing progress. LOL
Thank you, Naaj. I look forward to your insights.
Powerful work. Tremendous.
Thank you, Thomas. Hope your weekend was awesome!
Like Adelphina said, great title. Also those opening lines are not only funny but very observational in that oxymoronic way.
Great stuff.
I’m trying to make them interesting! I’ve been around enough “trailer park” people to know that many are great and “normal” folks. Yet, some are the stereotypical bad apples. I realize all societies have their low brow types. But this one fit my opening well enough. 😉
It’s the first time I heard about the “blue-collar writer” and I don’t know why we should be under any name, a writer is a writer on his/her own style.
“a blue-collar writer approaches writing as a disciplined, daily, and often arduous profession, focusing on consistent output and “putting in the work” rather than waiting for inspiration.”
I understand about the daily events thing, but I don’t agree a about “rather than waiting for inspiration”, inspiration is not specific and has no limits, and if You are the one who “inspires” yourself to write from your daily life, it’s the ultimate inspiration, no less powerful or emotive than the one that may comes sudden, and here is but an example, for me this is a true masterpiece, the way You waved the events then the turning comes like a gentle breeze with deep profound layers, no doubt You are a profoundly emotional and deeply thinker person. I truly like this, and yes in the meantime of Heaven(what a gorgeous title!), it’s the good time to tell Her “I love you”. Glorious✨
Wow, thank you for the in depth comment. I am one who definitely waits for inspiration to write, verses just sitting and plodding on the keyboard. Actually, I write on an old tablet, then transfer it to the laptop.
Anyhow, I thank you very much for this time that you took. It’s rewarding to be acknowledged for our efforts, obviously. So thank you!
This seems like a love -hate relationship with existence in a way. Love keeps you going in rough times and memories are like a truce between mental battles fought and heartfelt moments. Nice one, Styx.
hey Tim! Quit being scarce! LOL
I don’t remember what inspired me to write this one. At the time, it was loaded in my head of a bunch of images. So this was the result.
Thanks amigo!