22 April 2011

NaPoWriMo 22 ~ street talk

From a Big Tent prompt that asked us to "write a poem about what you would shout down the street," I came up with a story poem. If someone dropped their purse in the street, I would shout. This piece transpired from that thought. It begins and ends with the narrator shouting in the street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Street Talk

“Hey Lady!
Hey Lady!
You dropped your purse!”
I hold it up, running
knowing she heard me.
Her arms hail a taxi.
She steps into it and vanishes.

Later at home I plan to
go through the contents
of her purse for identification
and to satisfy my curiosity
about what a high heeled lady
with a real fox stole biting its own tail
carries in her Prada purse
on a soggy Great Falls afternoon
especially when it looked like
she dropped it on purpose

But for now,
I have a lunch date at Penny’s.
Her pesto pasta salad with capers
and a hint of feta cheese
always lures me
into lemon bars later.

An explosion cracks the air.
Patrons rush outside
where flames engulf my Jeep.
I fall to my knees and weep.

“Not the Jeep!
You fox furred bitch!
Not the Jeep!”

16 comments:

Stan Ski said...

I'm wondering what you could be doing to be targeted like that??? :)

Marianne said...

WOW! Great story poem. Filled with suspense and thrills!!! I love a good mystery.

vivinfrance said...

Brenda, Congratulations. I could never have told a story as gripping as this in a poem. Yours is terrific.

flaubert said...

I agree, Brenda, this is suspenseful and I want to know more. Great story that you should continue.

Pamela

Jinksy said...

Sounds like the start (or end?) of something big... I'm sure there will be lots of people waiting for more...

Laurie Kolp said...

Wow- quite an unexpected ending. This piece really packs a punch!

~laurie

Anonymous said...

Well that was a mean way to repay a charitable person.

Nicely done.

Ron. said...

Much like the purse, lady, you da bomb!

Linda said...

I was totally unprepared for the ending—great details.

lucychili said...

oops

Judy Roney said...

Your details in this piece is amazing. I could feel, see, and smell the scene. Bravo!



Only One

Anonymous said...

LOL @ Ron !

...but I agree.

I was captured by this piece! Well done!

Mr. Walker said...

Loved the surprise ending. A little dark - but I like it. I liked the details about the food at Penny's - nice touch.

barbara said...

Do people still have those tail-biting foxes? My grandmother had one we called her "mink stole".

Tumblewords: said...

There's a book here! Or at least a movie. This is terrific!

Cathy said...

Those last lines are just great! Didn't expect that.