Clashing at 5:00

Your question, Mom, is dinner
ready yet? irritates me
like a burnt steak I HAVE to chew.
There is no time to explain
why sausage needs to be boiled,
only that it should be.
Don't
argue.
If you'd done it two hours ago -
when
I'd
asked -
we'd be eating
and you wouldn't be waiting. But no, you chose
to play baseball with Mark.
So, yes! You will remain
hungry another thirty
minutes and stay away
from the kitchen until I say
all
is
ready.

My Bucket of Water

You poured in your self
deprecation (I'll never be
anything but a mechanic), stirred
in the family abuse (He's
a loser wearing silver chains), dropped
in your low income wage (I can't
afford the Ford 100) and topped it
off with past history (I'd push
my previous girlfriends to break
up with me so I didn't have to).
Setting it down with an adorable
shrug, you asked You want it?

I picked up that bucket without hesitation
used the water
for a shower and nearly froze
trying to dry off.