Rear View, Airport View
by Kevin Ridgeway
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It's been a long while
since I escaped
Away from the pain
Of this land of my past
Where I stumble and get
Caught with my britches down
Before the eyes of women
Who dislike poetry
But are amused by my thigh tan lines
torn underwear
Gap tooth beard brush
And unfamiliarity
With the young artist
Who the gallery opening is for
And they confiscate my free wine
While dragging me out by
Yanking my trousers up my rear
And out into the street before
I beg them to let me read one
More unsolicited poem or at least
A quick glance at a painting I can
Write a poem about instead of
This account of a starving artist
Sans the pathos of Chaplins little tramp
And early career Marky Mark meets
Maynard Krebs on crack instead.
The planes depart from the runway
As I eat jello in a psych ward
And ponder my next attempt at escapism,
Writing a poem about the sad clown
painting melting in front of me
From the cafeteria wall like he's so
Much better than me.
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