Poetry Slam

My sister bought her her new car in fifteen years.
The next day, in my inbox, an email sent. Verbatim.

Aug 14, 2009 12:56:40 PM, miki wrote:
I wish I could lie
and say things pretend.
It's just not right
because you are my friend.

I'd say I ran late
I'd say they were gone
but that's not the truth
and lying is wrong.

I drove here to work
in my van that is red
because my shiny NEW van
is home - battery dead.

My response:
Aug 14, 2009 2:09:23 PM

I find myself worrying
about you all alone.
Were you stuck? Were you stranded?
Was there someone to phone?

Was it human error, in part
or a door left ajar -
that killed the battery
in your shiny new car?

And what sayeth you
to those that twitter
are you laughing along
or just temporarily bitter?

Because surely you found
it isn't much fun
to be baking and broiling
waiting in the sun

And while I'm hoping the battery
will soon resurrect
it's going to be hard
to gain back respect

For what kind of fool
can not turn off a light?
Too much automation
has begat this plight.

So learn you have
and learn you will
to shut off manually -
a hard habit to instill

Good luck remembering
and I hope it sticks
But I suspect it unlikely
you know: old dogs with new tricks.

"oh you two. You think you are SO funny" my mother would say "You're JUST like your father." A condemnation, for sure, of her ex these 38 years.

My father? Oh he certainly DIDN'T let it go:
From: "BZ" To: miki Aug 15, 2009 3:39:42 PM


How much horsepower in that new van?
Must be like a bunch of young colts.
To bad it sits in the driveway at home,
All for the lack of a few lousy volts.

It used to be a pain and bother me greatly
When my vehicle sat dead in my yard,
Now do I care? Nope, not even a bit
'cause I got me a gold Triple A card.

Ah, self same fruit of the apple tree.