Tapestry Weaver

WAKE UP AMERICA

MISS JANICE

With some difficulty Janice made her way up the stairs of the 37 bus.  Her bunions were throbbing from spending too much time on her feet. This was the third time this week she was heading across town to Brice Elementary School.  The school called and complained that, once again, little T.T. had gotten into trouble and Janice needed to pick her up.  Though she was T.T.’s grandmother, Janice had full custody of the child after her mother passed away in January.  Janice took her seat and the bus rattled and shook as it crossed Burrough’s Avenue.  They passed the Ace Hardware, Liled’s Ice Cream, and Weebly Park.  It was a straight shot to the school, all the way down MLK Ave.  
As she arrives, Janice enters the left hand side of the brown double doors.  The principal’s office is down the hall.  The office immediately to the right is filled with dolls, action figures, balls, colored crayons, colored paper, and a small sandbox filled with wild animals.  Out of habit, she hobbles into this office as she does once every week and directs her attention to the young, thin redhead sitting at the open table.  
“Thanks for the call.  Did you finally hear what happened?” Janice asked as she takes a seat next to the young women to get off her feet.
“Yes, they told me she pulled another kid’s hair,” replied Amanda, the school’s play therapy intern.
“Did you talk to the principal?”
“I did.”  
“Did you tell him my little T.T. is in a lot of emotional pain?”
“I tried to tell him, but he just wouldn’t listen.  I tried.  I really did.  I am sorry.”
“And so what are we gonna to now?”
“Well, just take her home.”
“Take her home??  But the problem is not solved.  It’s going to happen again.”
“I know, but……   I was told you had to take her home.  I’m sorry, I’m just doing my job.”
“Your job?  You sure got a mighty narrow view of your job.  Whose behalf are you working for anyway?”   Janice exclaimed in aggravation.  “Look, I don’t know exactly how you work around here, but this is not play play.”  Janice stands up.  She has lived this pass-the-buck story once too many times.  “My time is valuable,” she continues.  “My family is valuable.  And just because I am poor and you are helping us out doesn’t mean I have to just take whatever you give me.  This is my only grandchild.  You got to help her.  Someone here has got to help her.”  Janice gathers her frustrations and starts for the door.  She is heading for the principals office to pick up her grandchild. Then suddenly, standing in the doorway, she changes her mind and turns around.  She realizes she can’t do battle alone.  She just can’t do it.  She remembers her daughter and reflects on how she would want her to respond.  Janice rethinks her options and comes up with another strategy.  “Honey, you could use a little lesson or two about speaking truth to power,” she says.  “Take notes.  Where I come from that’s not the way we do things.”

HEALTHY DIETING

Never have to regret
sensing the empty
back of your throat
Lick luscious lips to
summon skinny hint
of familiar tang gone by
Never have to control compulsion
to regurgitate spicy indelible print
Binge on high caloric fantasy
recapture flava flave
Guiltlessly shove tongue
against plus sized uvula
savor sweet, sour, salty
Bring up memory so real
you can taste it

GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE

Hard and insatiable
violence invades with middle finger first
paves the way for his fist
Forcibly stretches innocence
to fit his longing

DRIP

Endless
nasty rain drip
Recursive storm
disquiets placid brain
Pitter patter
plop plop
random useless wet drops
dribble on like bad Impressionism

Sink gathers donations
like Sunday tithing
Attention and focus stuff up
patience is runny
Faucet slobbers
the most obnoxious
snivvely H2O snot

Whine, whine
protest constant chatter
Decongest the plumbing already
It's a damn nuisance!