Friday, April 21, 2017

Poem 21: Overheard

Today's prompt: "write a poem that incorporates overheard speech. It could be something you’ve heard on the radio, or a phrase you remember from your childhood, even something you overheard a coworker say in the break room! Use the overheard speech as a springboard from which to launch your poem. Your poem could comment directly on the overheard phrase or simply use it as illustration or tone-setting material."

*

At a Tucson Fry's, 1995

Dave comes home
shaken.

"I was standing in line to buy
a Powerball ticket.
The woman in front of me
pushed a cart with
a two liter bottle of
off-brand vodka and
a carton of cigarettes.

A little boy ran up to her
holding a packet of pencils
and a spiral notebook.
Mom, he said, I need this
for school.

She stared down at him,
snapped
How many times I gotta tell you
we ain't got no money
for none of that
school shit?

I wanted to
give him the money
but I knew
looking at the set of her face
it wouldn't work.

She bought
10 tickets."


No comments:

Post a Comment