5 April 2007 | Vol. 7, No. 1
Way Over There
Everyone gets their phonics homework done on time
everyone makes a snow globe
& the little cardinal stuck
to the bottom of a baby food jar
never comes unglued
mommy in fact
never comes unglued & the daddy
(part Mr. Brady part Clark Kent
just a smidgen
of Arnold Schwarzenegger thrown in)
can't wait to come home and empty
the trash make a dent
in the mountain of dirty pots & pans
& the kids never lose their breath
turn blue while the medics
clamor up the walk with the oxygen tank
never need to be tested for thirteen
allergies including Cat Epithelium
the son happy with his plastic dinosaurs
never crying 'puter mama 'puter
the daughter never waking
with a fever—barf all over her puppy-patterned dress
& after the kids go to bed the mommy (half-
Demi Moore half-Angelina Jolie) dons
an apron with nothing underneath
nothing except a Miracle Bra
a red lacy thong
no burnt-out light bulbs no crumbs in the sheets
way over there not even on the shortest day
all the money & time & love they need
About the author:
Martha Silano is the author of two full-length poetry collections, Blue Positive and What the Truth Tastes Like. Her work has appeared in many places, including Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, and the Poetry Daily anthology. She teaches at Bellevue Community College and lives in Seattle, WA.
For further reading:
See the complete list of work by Martha Silano at 42opus. Browse the contents of 42opus Vol. 7, No. 1, where "Way Over There" ran on April 5, 2007. List other work with these same labels: poetry.
