Cleaning Up

[KaliTracy]

Turning 'round in circles in my yellow
flannel pajamas, feet free to grab hold
of the sticky linoleum floor, I parade

for daddy and his friends. The room is rich
with smoke and sweet, pungent whiskey
and the men hoot and clap as I call out

the cards daddy is holding. Cover blown,
he throws his hand to the middle of the table
where red and white chips are drunkenly tossed.

Sitting halfway on his lap to play with heavy
silver coins and torn bills, I try to count
every chip in the pile, until he shoves me off

to bed. I wait for the next deal, stopping on each
step as old Harvey calls out, clicking down the cards,
an ace, a deuce, and a queen to fill the house.

tracy lynn
1993

[Droopy]

1. Excellent, KaliTracy

Is that a memory that you have of your father? I'm not sure I get the title of your poem, though. Would you explain it to me?

[KaliTracy]

2. more like a mixture of memores (I can break that

down further if you want -- on how it is).

the easy answer is when people win at poker they "Clean Up"-- in this case, the speaker blew a huge pot for her father by calling out the cards he had -- so some other man was able to get the pot.

I'll leave it at that, now... though if you have other questions about it, would be happy to answer them.

[Droopy]

9. Ah, ok

No more questions. I don't want you to break it down too much for me. I noticed when we did that in English class it diminished the effectiveness of the poem. At least in my view it did. Probably because I had my own meaning to the poem and it was destroyed by the constant analyzing of the instructor.

[KaliTracy]

11. exactly. I don't mind talking about my (or anyone else's) poetry -- but

there is a point when the poem is no longer "mine" (the writer's), and is now "anyone's" (the reader's). That's when it gets a life of its own. :)

Instructors who think they hold the "golden key" to literature or poetry should be taken with a grain of salt... (in my opinion).

[oneighty]

3. A nice story writ well.

Ms Kali-Goddess of destruction

180

[KaliTracy]

6. ah, but goddess of transformation (rebirth) -- too! *wink*

[oneighty]

8. Shiva

Once we had a really good thread on Shiva, destroyer of worlds she who also danced the world into being 'The lord of the dance' was she.

So it was said.

Cool

180

[JitterbugPerfume]

10. wow Ed

Iremember that long ago thread too I wish I had book marked it or printed it or something


we sure had fun

[pinerow]

4. Nice imagery...

although I thought it would go in a different direction...very well written..!

[JitterbugPerfume]

5. Nice

I like your poem

welcome to the Poetry Group

[KaliTracy]

7. thanks, everyone for a warm welcome and I'm glad

I didn't bomb on my first post!

:hi: