The Monster Died is based on Industrial Cities in America, and this is specific to Schenectady NY when the General Electric Company moved much of its operation to other parts of the country, although they have shifted gears with the times, industry moving from large cities is still a cause for change because it was the butter and bread. I congratulate General Electric Company for all the work they have done for others and health care in our Country, and for their contribution to arts and entertainment. I hope you enjoy the relation between a (then) middle class American Family - and the Monster.
--------------------------------------
The Monster Died
she was a big girl, so – you
wouldn’t take another look,
back then, when guys
were always ready -
right on that corner, she’d
stand, her fat bust’ in
out of her top, think’ in she’s
sexy, not knowing
boys put her name on a list –
one of the homely ones to
pray over -
when she stood at the
corner, boys said it never
needed a stop sign - everyone
stared at the fat girl -
she’d give the finger -
Now she's skin and
bones - lives far from
the city - became some kind
of health care aide, but bet
cha she steals pills -
kind like when she stuffed
girdles and bras into a bag -
I was left holding; after she
fed me a Hot Fudge Sundae.
That, was the last time
I went shopping with a fat
girl - Mama told me she
was too big for me -
knowing Mama, she was talking
about her age.
It isn’t the same, the
neighborhood,
and the monster stopped
growing - Papa said,
“The city will die…”
One after another – car after
car - cars with crank out
windows, running boards,
white walls, all stalling out
in one long line - waiting
for the whistle from the
monster - signaling another
work day.
The whistle feeds all the
mouths, helps plant gardens
and educate children -
pay the mortgage.
The monster owns people,
where I were was born the
Monster paid for the holster
and Dale Evans pistol for my
brother… filled the cookie jar,
and gave us enough money
for a parakeet.
The men whom sat in the
board room on the second
floor - just past the ladies room
and under the chandelier,
in front of a wood burning
fireplace, near the maple coat
tree - ran the monster –
or, the monster ruled them.
When the whistle sounded
the city became as weird
as computerization – it moved
together – stop lights longer,
cross walks crowded and
people marching down the
boulevard as ants in perfect
lines -
no one in the city worried,
it was built - cared for by
giants - and the giant ran
the world – built home town
monsters.
Papa and all the Papas in the
city practically dipped
themselves into chemical
baths - now buried nuclear
waste - empty corn fields
never really empty - never
just grass, or tumble weeds
nestled adjacent to the railroad,
and across from another giant
on the other side of town.
No one thought about disease
or the environment - all they
cared about was if the monster
survived, so would they.
So growing up the boys all
thought the fat girl was the
monster - they found out
differently, when
the real monster died.
Nancy Duci Denofio
all rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment