Thursday, July 06, 2006

White Shag Rug ... for Poetry Thursday


That's me on the bike and my best friend at the time, Judy, her white German Shepherd, Lady, and my precious Booby. She and I played paper dolls on the rug in the poem.

I'm not one who likes confessional poetry much, which was the prompt for this week's Poetry Thursday. I wrote this about 15 years ago and have written a few other since ... don't know if they helped or not with the issues. All I can tell you is that when one gets to a certain age one doesn't blame anything on anybody anymore. I do tend to blame myself from time to time ... I think everyone does. Life is what it is. I truly believe everyone tries to do their best with the tools they are given.

White Shag Rug

I played paper dolls
on the white shag rug
that smelled of dog
and counterfeit days

I played paper dolls
on the white shag rug
where mothers smiled
and fathers laughed
they dressed for dinner
in elegant clothes
all the colors matched

I played paper dolls
on the white shag rug
where perfect children
rode prancing ponies
never had to lie
about black and blue legs

I played paper dolls
on the white shag rug
where laughing fathers
never beat their perfect children
smiling mothers
never drank beer

I played paper dolls
on the white shag rug
that smelled
playing with dolls made of paper

jzr

6 comments:

Suzie Ridler said...

Wow, this feels lyrical and song-like. I can almost hear music when I read this. Excellent. I love the confessional manner of things not being horrific.

Becca said...

You create what seems like a very safe, happy atmosphere, and then suddenly dispel it with one swift line. Very well done - the message comes through loud and clear, but without being overdone.

Jim Brock said...

A refreshing treatment, and the ending turns just so. Booby must be a relative of my first dog, Jasper.

Deirdre said...

This poem has power in it. Thank you for sharing.

GreenishLady said...

What a poem. You really pared it down, and portrayed the experience so well, so completely. Thank you.

GreenishLady said...
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