WHO CARES?

the benevolent eye of a caring person
round arms of a hoister

kids from hip to hip
lips of a lusty kisser

furrow in the brow
from lower back pain

having fallen on a
sidewalk in the rain
chasing down a
loose grandchild

quit smoking as many
times in twenty years
as she’s quit dating
quit drinking

a woman of furious survival
keeps the TV on most days and nights for adult company

now and then pops a diet pill, a sleeping pill

sometimes flips to cpsan when she
feels aduthood disolving like alkaseltzer

feels herself dissolving
in frustration

dances with girlfriends
sometimes by herself

motown, aretha, tina turner
marvin gaye on the box

let’s get it on, you make me feel like a natural heard it on the
grapevine woman

what you see is
what you get

whirls her youngest son
about her tiny grand daughter

what you don’t see
is better yet

baby you’re no good
you’re no good, baby
you’re too poor

work too hard
dropped school
men gone
mamma dead

overweight
daughter pregnant
section 8

raped
gunshots in the night

shut up and live
woman
into the future

rich getting richer
you getting poorer

future of a caring
woman
benevolent eyes
hip to hip
lips of a lusty
kisser
needs revolution on
a soon come day

natural woman
with a life to live

needs a job that pays
some daycare
children in good schools
grandchildren fed
weekends at play in the
green grass

medicine for the sick
clean water would be
nice, and clean air
for breathing without
asthsma

affordable housing
wouldn’t that be
something?

no gunshots, no rape
no need for war
but

what you see is
what you get
baby

around here
you’re no good
around here
you’re too poor

can’t get no
satisfaction

can’t get no
revolution

on a soon come day.

don brennan