| Author | Message | ||
| M
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 3994 Registered: 11-1998 |
Honorable Mention Marla Mows (#2 in Marla McGhee Set) Maryann Hazen Stearns Marla Mows She isn't sure if the damn thing will even start She remembers how he poured gas in Primed it Gave the rope a yank or two She can do this Gas .....Prime ...........Pull .................Pull .......................PULL In a burst of sputter-blue smoke the beast roars to life Thank God Marla follows the square perimeter of property down ....across up ....across down Mr. Dog watches from the porch Marla likes the look of even green ribbons Almost like the carpet lines she vacuums every morning The sun falls on her back Dandelions lose their heads Mrs. Tunis waves but Marla doesn't see her She thinks about the car insurance Had he always paid it in full or by the month A hidden moth drunkenly escapes to the safety of a nearby hosta They can't really cancel it can they She hesitates at the center of the lawn Begins pushing the red machine back to the garage She watches her green sneakers walk between the wheels along the hedges Mr. Dog barks Marla walks A grasshopper looses a leg She thinks about the furnace The loud clank each time it turns off The mower continues to mow Simple lines ....back and ....forth The sun passes the maple When is the next oil delivery anyway She comes to the end of the line Begins up and down Now ....up and ....down Mr. Dog sleeps Marla doesn't really miss the phone She secretly likes being disconnected It's a relief ....up and ....down The mower coughs hacks and dies Marla and Mr. Dog look at each other She looks at the perfect green rows One this way One that The lawn glitters in early evening mist There That's done she thinks the good thing is that by next week it will all grow back again ~*~ |
