alanis song

By doll on the rag



so titled because her voice says it in my head.



-----------



i met maxine for lunch the other day
over lattes and salad that would
cost half my paycheck she giggled
'the preacher got laid in the confessional
last tuesday afternoon' she said
'i didn't see it with my own eyes, but
i know it happened
i was kinda there'
with pursed lips she politely sipped
her latte through a straw
and said
'i just kept them closed
and waited for him to be through'
and all the overpriced lettuce in the world
couldn't hide my disbelief
'he said he could get me
closer to god' as she played idly with
her fork before pushing her plate away untouched

three floors down in my apartment building
on the stairs that lead to the door
there's a small wiry girl with big blue eyes
she doesn't say much and eats even less
she's been sleeping in taxi cabs and
sequin-lined dresses
and i think she might die soon
so yesterday evening i brought her some flowers
and sat on the bottom concrete step
while she told me about her hollywood life
she paints herself nightly and entertains the stars
then i paid her cab fare and whispered goodbye
poor thing, she didn't see
that her stars are just pieces of broken bottles
in the gutter
in the alley
i suppose it's not so bad she can't see after all
she said her name was anna

clea wasn't a very pretty girl by the textbook
definitions
but she loved the morning exhaust fumes and
always whistled some strange tune
i liked to watch her as she walked down ferguson street
she worked at the corner bodega
and sometimes gave me an apple for free
she wore tap shoes in the rain
and never passed a homeless man without asking the time
i didn't sleep for a week straight
after i heard from her boss that she'd been raped
i thought maybe by staying up i could make up
for not being awake to protect her
now i watch her eyes drift farther away like she's
pretending not to be there
and every time it rains i cry as i strain
to see if she's wearing
her tap shoes but
she doesn't give me apples any more

the last time i went to boston
i saw a woman no more than a child
singing her heart out to an unfeeling subway
that angrily roared down the tracks
her face so familiar i almost could touch it
and her name was like gingerbread
in the back of my mouth 'francis' i called
she blinked twice and her lips melted
a smear of burgundy on pale white skin and
when she smiled her teeth were beautiful
but i have never been
to boston








Unauthorized Copying Is Prohibited. Ask the author first.
Copyright 2005 doll on the rag
Published on Thursday, June 2, 2005.     Filed under: "Poetry"
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Comments on "alanis song"

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  • A former member wrote: This is just gorgeous writing... I could feel this, in the very bottom parts of my soul. I could feel each of these stories play out in my mind, clea's especially...

  • Aurora_Light On Monday, August 4, 2008, Aurora_Light (472)By person wrote:

    I enjoyed this, the flow and surprise as you move from each woman to the next telling a bit about their life, their story.

  • Guillotine On Sunday, May 6, 2007, Guillotine (172)By person wrote:

    This was damn amazing and I feel priveleged to read it. I've fallen in love with works like this and this one was truly exceptional; here, an author, an artist, a soul-breather has scribbled out, painted and whispered a masterpiece.

  • inexperienced On Thursday, May 11, 2006, inexperienced (26)By person wrote:

    many things were said to praise this poem but still they do not seem to be enough.I adore alanis m. and yes,it really has her odour.with my endless admirations...please never stop composing.

  • Army Barbie On Thursday, November 24, 2005, Army Barbie (324)By person wrote:

    Oh...wow. Not a befitting comment, I know. But nothing else can come out of my fingertips right now. For that, I appologize.

  • PoeticHellion On Monday, July 18, 2005, PoeticHellion (191)By person wrote:

    Wow. You are so amazingly talented.

  • Saint_Reaper On Wednesday, July 13, 2005, Saint_Reaper (203)By person wrote:

    yet another outstanding piece by the doll....

  • Serenity On Saturday, June 11, 2005, Serenity (469)By person wrote:

    "...the last time i went to boston i saw a woman no more than a child singing her heart out to an unfeeling subway that angrily roared down the tracks..." That stuck out to me. Beautiful beyond expression.

  • Railway_Butterfly On Wednesday, June 8, 2005, Railway_Butterfly (354)By person wrote:

    i'll just thank you once again for this.. and tell you that I truly appriciate you for writing this and sharing it.. along with all of the other art you have here.

  • Railway_Butterfly On Wednesday, June 8, 2005, Railway_Butterfly (354)By person wrote:

    If I was any better at commenting I would tell you what really goes on in my head when I read this, how it makes me feel.. but the only way I seem to be able to do that anymore is through writing abstract poetry that no one really quite understands.. so,

  • Railway_Butterfly On Wednesday, June 8, 2005, Railway_Butterfly (354)By person wrote:

    oh my.. you really realy have me with this one. It's been a few days since I last read this.. and it still got me just as good. I have a feeling this is going to be somewhere in the back of my head for a long time..

  • Lotophagi On Tuesday, June 7, 2005, Lotophagi (333)By person wrote:

    brilliant. great structure, I love the tone and colour of the piece, very personal yet without self. I love it and I'm so glad I stumbled across this. Thank you.

  • jaunty pill On Saturday, June 4, 2005, jaunty pill (47)By person wrote:

    And seriously , This could be passed as something that could be published. The movement , The voice , The quick use of easy language....It all creates so much for the reader. I am humbled to have found you.

  • doll on the rag On Saturday, June 4, 2005, doll on the rag (200)By person wrote:

    rather, dear, i am humbled to have so quickly caught you. i've been published many times before, but never anything like this. these are what i call 'honest poems'. perhaps one day they'll be published, too.

  • jaunty pill On Saturday, June 4, 2005, jaunty pill (47)By person wrote:

    Then we can be humbled both ways. I figured you were published. It shines in your work. I have added this poem to my page...Towards the bottom. I thought it would be a way for other people to come over. Take care and nice to meet you.

  • jaunty pill On Saturday, June 4, 2005, jaunty pill (47)By person wrote:

    Bookmarked. My third one so far around here. I seem to be picky about my bookmarks...Maybe a little too much. LOL. This is wonderfully worded and filled with moments that shine.

  • Railway_Butterfly On Friday, June 3, 2005, Railway_Butterfly (354)By person wrote:

    thank you, sincerely. This is wonderful.

  • doll on the rag On Saturday, June 4, 2005, doll on the rag (200)By person wrote:

    goodness... i'd say that you are welcome, but that's really not my place. i'm glad you enjoyed it. =)

  • Railway_Butterfly On Friday, June 3, 2005, Railway_Butterfly (354)By person wrote:

    oh, I love this.. something I felt whilst reading it made me think of the poetry I used to read here before I became a member myself. I feel its been too long since i've read poetry like this..

  • capt_funguy On Thursday, June 2, 2005, capt_funguy (778)By person wrote:

    i'm a sucker for works like this ... clear view through a slightly warped lense .. catching drifts , and creating worlds ... dug the " pull you in " small print too ... great piece ... funguy

  • doll on the rag On Friday, June 3, 2005, doll on the rag (200)By person wrote:

    thank you muchly. i like observation pieces myself-- especially when i get to make up the people. the small print, though, is less of an attention device than you might think. big text just hurts my eyes, and makes poems harder to read, in my opinion.

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