Spin Cycle: A Poem

The Spin Cycle this week is "creative writing." At first I was excited about the challenge, thought I'd try something new that's been bubbling around in the back of my mind. A snippet was all I needed. But a challenging weekend of grading, followed by a challenging last week of the quarter... Well, let's just say I have several new drafts, but nothing worth posting yet.

I wrote this poem back when I was an undergrad. My spin.

A Wednesday Night in 1969

She stumbled into the room
blocking the children's view,
the were absorbed in an I Love Lucy
rerun. And waiting for dinner.

Lucy was sticking her tongue out at Ricky,
thumbs in her ears, wiggling her fingers;
he was unaware of the antics...
focused on his morning paper.

The children remained seated,
peering around their mother
ranting before them.
Bloodshot eyes bulging;
frail, thin body rigid.
Her speech slurred,
thickened by
an afternoon six-pack,
evening vodka,
Valium and Percodan,
prescribed by her doctor.

The mother's face contorted
as she told her children
that she wanted to die.

The children focused on Lucy's eyes
flashing in contemplation,
she had a scheme in mind;
she'd become an act at
Ricky's Tropicana...
They would have more time together
Lucy also had overwhelming
Artistic Desires.

The children sat in silence
as their mother informed them
about her recent ingestion
of her entire prescription;
they did not get up
or run for help.

The week before
she had paraded
around the house
with a gun,
bragging about
blowing her brains out.
The week before that
she had walked about naked
showing her children
the razor reserved
for later that evening.

The next mornings
she rarely remembered
her wolf cries.

Meanwhile Lucy had snuck
into the Tropicana
with her faithful friend Ethel.
They kidnapped the woman
who was Ricky's partner,
bound and gagged her
and locked her in a closet.

And so on this night
their mother collapsed,
out to the cold world.

Red lights flashed
Sirens
Policemen and questions
Crying children amidst

The familiar tune
playing in the background.

The heart surrounding
The End.


For more spins, or to join along, head on over to Sprite's Keeper.