Unprotected

An umbrella turned upside
Down
Lies in the middle of the street
It’s large red and white stripes
Spin as the wind blows
The twirling is
Hypnotic
And I watch as the gusts catch
The receptacle that used to be
Mine
Cars avoid the unbridled
Protector
Now in command of the traffic
As I walk, naked
To the bus stop
Leaving the silken frame
To fend for itself

Crutches

You
Are so much more tolerable
After a few glasses of good
Chardonnay
Almost appealing
As the bottle empties
And even inviting as
The liquid
Takes over
I
Can forget
After two
Martinis
Maybe even enjoy
Myself
When I get to the
Olives
And on a good night
Sometimes, I can
Laugh
        Again
After a scotch or
Three
But it’s still in
Me
When I wake
That consuming ache
After all those years
The ugly truths
That return with
Sobriety
There must be
Something
I can drink or use or
Inject
That will ultimately
Alter
        You

Never Neverland

I could never
Be
In love with someone
Who drinks beer right from
The bottle
Or who
Smokes cigarettes
Without filters
I would never be
With anyone who
Is too
Predictable
Like eating
Scrambled eggs only in the
Morning
And white toast with
        No butter
I will never be in love with someone
Who puts ketchup on
Meat loaf
And drinks 2%
Milk
While eating
Cheese crackers
And falls asleep holding the
    Remote
Instead of
Me
I would never be in love with a
Man
Who won’t wear
Sandals or
Baseball caps
And mows the lawn
On Sunday mornings
While I am still asleep
I could only be
        His wife

Marianne Vincent has been writing poetry for years, and has just recently achieved publication. In addition to her writing, she is an administrative nurse who works at least 50 hours a week. Her work is challenging and rewarding, but her first love is writing. A native of Syracuse, NY, she lives with her husband and 12 year old daughter, Jess. She has two sons who live in the area--and has been blessed with three gorgeous grandchildren. She has been greatly influenced by her family and has an incredibly strong Italian heritage. As a first generation Italian-American, she believes that the heart of a person, especially a writer, is not complete without the love and devotion of “La Famiglia”. It is most important to her to be able to continue the tradition of success passed down from her ancestors. Her poetry comes from within. Each poem tells a story, with a message that she strives to convey to the reader, especially other women. She hopes that in some way, her writings will encourage other Italian-American women to “bring forth” their talents.

Email: Marianne Vincent

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