UPPER EAST SIDE PRETENDER
It's too swanky a place
to ever be late.
I race down East 68th
to my salon of beauty.
to ever be late.
I race down East 68th
to my salon of beauty.
With disdain laser cruel
from some matrons bejeweled
I slip into a chair
with my roots-exposed hair.
from some matrons bejeweled
I slip into a chair
with my roots-exposed hair.
Insanely budget defiant
I've stayed on as a client.
What's financial calamity
against habit and vanity?
I've stayed on as a client.
What's financial calamity
against habit and vanity?
One turbaned dame glares
as she wrestles her chair,
hissing, "Damn hip's arthritic.
Used to be so athletic!"
as she wrestles her chair,
hissing, "Damn hip's arthritic.
Used to be so athletic!"
Neon-lit and makeup-less,
ego voice shames, "I'm a mess."
Queenly sculptress' eyes agree.
due to visit infrequency.
ego voice shames, "I'm a mess."
Queenly sculptress' eyes agree.
due to visit infrequency.
I savor eye-closed surrender.
TLC professionally rendered.
Almost nothing renews you
as when another shampoos you.
TLC professionally rendered.
Almost nothing renews you
as when another shampoos you.
Some colorist keeps chiding
charge's brows require dyeing.
Meek captive assents to the sell,
but doubts it'll turn out well.
charge's brows require dyeing.
Meek captive assents to the sell,
but doubts it'll turn out well.
An attendant, downright lovely,
offers my milk-no-sugar coffee.
Sweet, she knows -- goes to this trouble.
From gratitude her tip just doubled.
offers my milk-no-sugar coffee.
Sweet, she knows -- goes to this trouble.
From gratitude her tip just doubled.
Rescue-dresser commences clipping.
Chats movies, family, politicians.
Finally folds in golden highlighting.
Mirrored image steadily delights me.
Chats movies, family, politicians.
Finally folds in golden highlighting.
Mirrored image steadily delights me.
Then, with kami kaze will
I gird my loins to pay the bill.
Total never fails to stun me.
Vow next cut's about economy.
I gird my loins to pay the bill.
Total never fails to stun me.
Vow next cut's about economy.
Tips with hugs, a guilt-pleased glance,
onto 2nd Avenue I advance
when sky cracks mean with darkened hue.
Torrential rain undoes my do!
onto 2nd Avenue I advance
when sky cracks mean with darkened hue.
Torrential rain undoes my do!
ARTISTRY ECSTASY
I need art to do –
even to see –
it's God's language
revitalizing me.
I savor each vain urge,
every sweet tiny ache
my mundane existence
(in a heart-beat) to forsake,
to wander beyond
the languid Beauty mist,
all essential and treacherous
shadow roads to risk,
in finding the sacred forest
of serious, artistic people;
where the moon shines purple
and a winter air
whispers poetry;
where understanding comes
summer easy
and important thoughts
flung through a dream
hang heavenly;
where Truth Eclectic
jazz-bedazzles nightly
in a star-jeweled,
risqué gown;
where in artless delirium
I deliciously drown.
even to see –
it's God's language
revitalizing me.
I savor each vain urge,
every sweet tiny ache
my mundane existence
(in a heart-beat) to forsake,
to wander beyond
the languid Beauty mist,
all essential and treacherous
shadow roads to risk,
in finding the sacred forest
of serious, artistic people;
where the moon shines purple
and a winter air
whispers poetry;
where understanding comes
summer easy
and important thoughts
flung through a dream
hang heavenly;
where Truth Eclectic
jazz-bedazzles nightly
in a star-jeweled,
risqué gown;
where in artless delirium
I deliciously drown.
THE BIG, BABY, FAT MAN
The big, baby, fat man
sat heavily on the unfolded metal chair.
Huge, massive feet anchored him.
He rolled his head unhappily --
socially inappropriate --
agitated by something or other.
She was very much afraid of him.
sat heavily on the unfolded metal chair.
Huge, massive feet anchored him.
He rolled his head unhappily --
socially inappropriate --
agitated by something or other.
She was very much afraid of him.
"ALL I EVER WANTED WAS TO BE LOVED!"
he roared to the group.
he roared to the group.
She wanted to bolt from the room.
It would be okay. There were others
and he was not, after all,
the monster-specter
of a drunken father.
It would be okay. There were others
and he was not, after all,
the monster-specter
of a drunken father.
They are all great.
I Can relate
But wait...
what's next on your plate! R
I Can relate
But wait...
what's next on your plate! R
Neon-lit and makeup-less,
ego voice shames, "I'm a mess."
Queenly sculptress' eyes agree.
due to visit infrequency.
That struck a chord. But, ye gods, the expense!
ego voice shames, "I'm a mess."
Queenly sculptress' eyes agree.
due to visit infrequency.
That struck a chord. But, ye gods, the expense!
This last Christmas I bought massages for all the women in my family.
Oh yes...need that shampoo from someone else. And then there is David the hair "artist"... Little else I can do to improve my looks. Book months ahead. Outrageous expense. Worth every penny.
On Artsy Ectasy: Beautiful...hope this gets to the ATLANTIC...it is really over the top...wonderful!
I am uncomfortable near the Big Baby, Fat man. But that is good, isn't it ?
On Artsy Ectasy: Beautiful...hope this gets to the ATLANTIC...it is really over the top...wonderful!
I am uncomfortable near the Big Baby, Fat man. But that is good, isn't it ?
Wow! A triple whammy. I could smell the beauty parlor chemicals and taste the ambience (mom was a beautician) and feel the hug and could only laff at the frightful denouement. The magic of your art sensibility engulfed me, and lingers. And poor Falstaff - I wanted to snicker but the sordid darkness overcame me.
Tour de force!
Tour de force!
Libby,the last one is haunting.
The double perspective makes it a piece of excellent poetry.
Rated
The double perspective makes it a piece of excellent poetry.
Rated
jmac1949,I like your sense of humour.
Each different. All good.
R
R
I'm glad your beautician does right by you. I got fed up with looking like a plucked chicken and began cutting and styling my own 40 years ago. Besides I often wear my hair purple, and the local salons never get the purples and greens right.
Great job.
I can never come up with something that sounds better than what Homer Simpson comes up with so you should be thankful I don't try.
I can never come up with something that sounds better than what Homer Simpson comes up with so you should be thankful I don't try.
Nice change of pace-
sometimes Art is the relief from too much thought-
you do poetry well
sometimes Art is the relief from too much thought-
you do poetry well
Sorry to be away from commenting for a bit. How lovely for this feedback. I thank you all!!!
tg within, high praise from wonderful poet you! thanks! :)
Linnn, thanks for relating. How irrationally willful re money one can get out of momentum as well as vanity! :)
jmac, for real? wow.
Ande! thank you for understanding, though since this poem I have had to move on economically but found another great parlor that halves the cost! Still a bit of a sting but not as irrational as earlier. So glad you liked the Artsy one. I wish I spent more time doing my thing deep in the forest of serious, artistic people. I find many here! my cyber forest!! Yes, the vibe I got IRL from big, baby, fat man was resonating and disturbing!
Chicken Maaan, more high and well written praise. I thank you!!! there is something so powerful in that beauty parlor culture, both sensory and socially ... primal in a way, getting the caretaking and surrendering to that nurturing. I bet you have some stories to tell from your mom's experiences. The counseling at times of bartenders for men they say, and the counseling at times of beauticians for women!!! How nice you grooved on the artistry one ... and as for the Falstaff one, hah, yes, a cartoon-like behavior that triggered sudden panic and memory in me from being suddenly and unwittingly stuck in his troubled but not as dangerous in reality as it felt orbit.
Heide, thanks for mentioning that. One of my braver and more honest and vulnerable moments as a writer.
escrito! thanks so much for visiting and validating! :)
Stuart!! purples and greens??? You absolutely rock, my friend. :) Yes, I'll have to write one about the not so successful cuts, myself. Investing time and money and then ... not so good results. sigh. As a kid, my mother used to try to "trim" my hair, and by the time she was done in "trimming" my hair was distressingly WAY TOO SHORT. I only wanted a "trim", mom!!!!! Though my ex-army Dad used to give my brothers buzz cuts that brought on far more tears and anguish!
Zachd, thanks for stopping by! I can't believe you wouldn't be super in all literary genre!
Rudy, tx!!! you are so right about needing a break. Sometimes the emotional struggle from political and social consciousness raising (my own self-consciousness raising and my will to inspire -- implore -- others to relate) deserves a time out. I took one. Though I am now reading articles for a blog about America's industrial prison complex and feeling such sustained outrage over shocking revelations. Evil surreality on such global levels.
best, libby
tg within, high praise from wonderful poet you! thanks! :)
Linnn, thanks for relating. How irrationally willful re money one can get out of momentum as well as vanity! :)
jmac, for real? wow.
Ande! thank you for understanding, though since this poem I have had to move on economically but found another great parlor that halves the cost! Still a bit of a sting but not as irrational as earlier. So glad you liked the Artsy one. I wish I spent more time doing my thing deep in the forest of serious, artistic people. I find many here! my cyber forest!! Yes, the vibe I got IRL from big, baby, fat man was resonating and disturbing!
Chicken Maaan, more high and well written praise. I thank you!!! there is something so powerful in that beauty parlor culture, both sensory and socially ... primal in a way, getting the caretaking and surrendering to that nurturing. I bet you have some stories to tell from your mom's experiences. The counseling at times of bartenders for men they say, and the counseling at times of beauticians for women!!! How nice you grooved on the artistry one ... and as for the Falstaff one, hah, yes, a cartoon-like behavior that triggered sudden panic and memory in me from being suddenly and unwittingly stuck in his troubled but not as dangerous in reality as it felt orbit.
Heide, thanks for mentioning that. One of my braver and more honest and vulnerable moments as a writer.
escrito! thanks so much for visiting and validating! :)
Stuart!! purples and greens??? You absolutely rock, my friend. :) Yes, I'll have to write one about the not so successful cuts, myself. Investing time and money and then ... not so good results. sigh. As a kid, my mother used to try to "trim" my hair, and by the time she was done in "trimming" my hair was distressingly WAY TOO SHORT. I only wanted a "trim", mom!!!!! Though my ex-army Dad used to give my brothers buzz cuts that brought on far more tears and anguish!
Zachd, thanks for stopping by! I can't believe you wouldn't be super in all literary genre!
Rudy, tx!!! you are so right about needing a break. Sometimes the emotional struggle from political and social consciousness raising (my own self-consciousness raising and my will to inspire -- implore -- others to relate) deserves a time out. I took one. Though I am now reading articles for a blog about America's industrial prison complex and feeling such sustained outrage over shocking revelations. Evil surreality on such global levels.
best, libby
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