Author Frank Schulenburg
Image: Yes she is! (here)
I've enough of your kind
Must I police you like a criminal?
Must you make me say it?
You......criminal!
But..but
No buts here!
You are either with me or you are not.
I know boss...but..
I'm not your boss, I'm your brother-in-law
You forgot you married my sister?
No, I mean yes...
I am to see to her welfare
Why it takes you so long
Say so, say it right!
We tried everything, many specialists..
And?
Come on, make it fast!
The best there are?
Yes the best!
I'll pummel your face
Yes, we did
You mean ...
Yes......
You mean she is barren?
Line chosen : Jumpy like a Mexican bean - Syivia Plath
Note: This is not about a clown pe se but
certainly about 'clowning around'.
MSJadeLi's at d'Verse's Poetics - clowning around
It seems so lighthearted in the beginning, but then the ending takes a turn. Fabulous writing, Hank. I enjoy the visceral lines in this piece, along with the humor in a clowning around context. Such an excellent take on the prompt!
ReplyDeleteI am a persimmon junkie.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the picture, I’m reading this as an unfolding Veggie Tales episode. :)
Hank, this has a tension to it that teeters between playfulness and dead serious. The brother in-law sounds like a tyrant, and I wonder why the husband feels he needs to answer to his wife's brother? I like the questions you leave at the end of this.
ReplyDeleteWe're left pining for the "rest of the story"! Compelling write.
ReplyDeleteBev is right ... we need a sequel!
ReplyDeleteSO much story here, Hank!
ReplyDeleteThat was engaging. More!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lucy and Lisa about the shift in this poem, Hank, from light-hearted to deadly serious, and it’s so full of tension. This is a social comment on family relationships in a culture I know little about and, as Lisa said, the brother in-law sounds like a tyrant. ‘Barren’ is such a harsh word – some couples just can’t have children.
ReplyDeleteApologies Kim, Ma'am. We men may not be too aware of the ladies' sensitivities in such matters. Hank didn't mean harm!
DeleteThis is not a good place to be... I wonder where it left her in the end ... barren.
ReplyDelete