in 1932, she walked into Bullocks Wilshire
bought the best she could afford
then stood by the studio gates until chosen
>
days of learning how to talk, how to stand, how to diet
posing for publicity photographs
coerced into coitus by men who say you have to say yes
dress extra, bit player, supporting actress, star
marriages to leading men who wanted other stars on the side
>
even with a support system of friends and employees,
there’s constant pain, a yearning to stop this nonsense
>
then the contract runs out—make way for others
>
one day after the war,
she’s arrested for speeding down Topanga
after that, B pictures, TV series, then retirement
>
they buried her out in the back
of the church known as
Our Lady of the Cadillacs
>
in 1989, she walked into Beverly Center
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Sunday, July 12, 2020
New Poem: AMERICA SITS IN THE COVID CORNER
hey Joe what are you doing there
sitting with that passport in your hand
keening and wailing I can’t use it
because the authority figures left the room
and the kids turned over their desks
carved obscenities into the blackboard
pulled the clock down from the wall
smashed it into microscopic metal pieces
screaming school sucks the hell with indoors
then pushed and shoved filling every street
>
the businessmen told the government
let us reopen we’re losing all this money
bellowing in a George C. Scott voice:
Jesus Christ we’ll be ruined
and the government gave in
told the CDC adapt or be ignored
making no commands or demands
just suggestions and punting decisions downwards
>
fear is a deadly disease
even worse than the current virus
so so scared of losing political donor money
even though big business got big loans
small businesses denied, told try try again
in the midst of this no one dared to think
of how to tell the public to mask up sit tight hang on
to see a real reduction in the plague
>
so Joe sits and cries
can’t even go visit Canada this summer
just watches the passing of the shit parade:
bad president battering school districts
amusement park reopening in high plague state
musicians and comedians playing to mask-free crowds
>
hey Joe what are you doing there
feeding your passport into a shredder
sitting with that passport in your hand
keening and wailing I can’t use it
because the authority figures left the room
and the kids turned over their desks
carved obscenities into the blackboard
pulled the clock down from the wall
smashed it into microscopic metal pieces
screaming school sucks the hell with indoors
then pushed and shoved filling every street
>
the businessmen told the government
let us reopen we’re losing all this money
bellowing in a George C. Scott voice:
Jesus Christ we’ll be ruined
and the government gave in
told the CDC adapt or be ignored
making no commands or demands
just suggestions and punting decisions downwards
>
fear is a deadly disease
even worse than the current virus
so so scared of losing political donor money
even though big business got big loans
small businesses denied, told try try again
in the midst of this no one dared to think
of how to tell the public to mask up sit tight hang on
to see a real reduction in the plague
>
so Joe sits and cries
can’t even go visit Canada this summer
just watches the passing of the shit parade:
bad president battering school districts
amusement park reopening in high plague state
musicians and comedians playing to mask-free crowds
>
hey Joe what are you doing there
feeding your passport into a shredder
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