STAYING WITH THE STOLUCKS.

[dadio]

Mother said, I want you to go to stay
With Mr and Mrs Stoluck after

School because I will be late home from work.
The Stolucks were an elderly couple

Who lived down the block and had a blue pet
Budgerigar hanging above the round

Dining table and feathers, shucks and seeds
Would fall on the old guy's dinner and he

Never seemed to notice or care and he
Always had small particles of food stuck

In the corners of his mouth or hanging
From side-whiskers. And he’d say, sit down kid

And eat some dinner that Mrs Stoluck
Has prepared for you and that’ll save your

Mother having to cook for you when she
Gets home from the hospital. You’d sit there

At the table watching the feathers and
Shucks and seeds fall from the cage above and

Listen to the old guy talking to you
About the railways and how he’d worked for

Them for many years and lost a finger
When a door slammed on it and cut it off

And from the kitchen you heard old Mrs
Stoluck singing as she banged pots and pans

And Mr Stoluck would shout, shut the fuck
Up you noisy bitch and it’d all go

Quiet for a minute or two then she’d
Start up again bringing your small dinner

On a plate with a blue pattern and the
Sweat would hang in her greying moustache on

Her top lip always threatening to fall
Into your meal and she’d put it down and

Tap your head and say, get it down you boy,
Don’t waste none, and she’d wipe her moustache with

The back of her hand and stare at Mr
Stoluck with her deep set eyes, knowing each

Dull moment of each day their old love dies.

[joel]

The Stolucks...why do I get the feeling they aren't as much the children of possibility as the neighbors of tasted reality? I enjoyed my visit...but I'm not sure I'd enjoy dinner as much....

[saw]

the poem is liking watching a scene from a play.....the characters are well developed in the dialogue......and I felt I knew them all.....well done dadio

[dadio]

Thank you for reading & comments, joel & saw. I cannot remember the real names of the couple but it was pretty much like this when I stayed now and then.