Perpetual Motion
in the 1980’s
everything was smooth sailing
except
drugs
aids
starvation
exploding space shuttles
&
the threat of foreign wars
we had miami vice
& a small hole
peeking through the ozone layer
from all of those cans of hairspray
everyone in the trailer park
had a waterbed
our neighbors at the top of the hill
got their kids a chihuahua puppy for christmas
they would take turns tossing it
onto the bed
watching the poor thing
sway back & forth
like a drunken sailor
only a few weeks
after bringing it home
it slid right off the bed
snapping its neck
without even a whimper
rubber ball still firmly in its mouth
as a child’s birthday party went on
in full swing in the next room
it was so quiet
that we thought
it was playing a game
& then the youngest neighbor boy
started wailing
as his brother approached the body
with plastic army men
as if it was just some peaceful beast
he had killed in battle
their father covered it up
with a beach towel
as their mother asked us
who wanted cake
& somehow like magic
the decade was over
before it had even really
gotten started.
About the Author: John Dorsey lived for several years in Toledo, Ohio. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Teaching the Dead to Sing: The Outlaw’s Prayer (Rose of Sharon Press, 2006), Sodomy is a City in New Jersey (American Mettle Books, 2010), Tombstone Factory, (Epic Rites Press, 2013), Appalachian Frankenstein (GTK Press, 2015) Being the Fire (Tangerine Press, 2016) and Shoot the Messenger (Red Flag Press, 2017) and Your Daughter’s Country (Blue Horse Press, 2019). His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He may be reached at archerevans@yahoo.com.
More By John Dorsey:
Creatures of Our Better Nature
Image Credit: Marion Post Wolcott “Parked cars on private yard and trailer park sign where many workers from United Aircraft live in their own trailers. East Hartford, Connecticut” (1941) The Library of Congress
As It Ought To Be 