By J.J. Tindall
The Great White Dope
We collude in a conspiracy of silence.
We intrude on the poor, demanding coke.
The Children’s Crusade to re-take Humboldt Park
Commemorated the dead. For every line we do,
A bullet blasts into an innocent child’s brain.
But not in Barrington. For every line we do,
A poor family is destroyed. Not in Naperville,
Glenwood or Homewood-Flossmoor, where the children
Do more blow than we want to know.
Their parents have jobs, after all, bills to pay,
Antiques to collect, time-consuming affairs
With neighbors to conduct, this kind of thing.
Hey, raising kids right is really hard!
Sometimes you wanna party. I get it.
Sometimes you wanna party!
I think now of the Dylan Klebold’s BMW . . .
Perhaps he just needed more Ritalin.
It’s hard to raise kids right.
Sweep the schools. The richer the suburb,
The more drugs you’ll find there. Shucks,
I must be one ANGRY DUDE! Mercy!
Hey, you guys, just forget I said anything.
I’m just a lonely, bitter, failed malcontent
So you can just write me off and carry on. Besides,
The Drug War, one of the funniest, most self-affirming
fantasy series on TV comes on shortly so I can just
chill out to that. Hey, you guys, just forget I said
anything! Have a nice party! I know how
tough it can be to maintain a pastoral façade.
Maybe I’ll see you after the next local funeral.
We’ll party.
–
J. J. Tindall is the Beachwood’s poet-in-residence. He can reached at jjtindall@yahoo.com. Chicagoetry is an exclusive Beachwood collection-in-progress.
Posted on October 25, 2007