the goddess holds
her pineapple staff
as she lets her
children through
the castle gates…
Homer holds
a game controller
and the triangle
button is sticky
from extended play…
the Classics are always
lost on the younger ones
as they find the newest
good stuff on their own…
why do noses get bigger
and ears grow fuzzy
when a human reaches
elder form?
chicken drumstick,
chicken parm,
no matter what the shape,
it started out on a farm…
why are there so many
spinoffs of The Walking Dead?
which one to watch,
and which to skip?
beats me…
I took a cold shower today
because the bathroom
was hot as balls
— I like drying off
in a towel
when no one’s home…
the news tells us
we must be on alert
and be rid of all
the spotted lantern flies,
but don’t tell anyone —
because I’m secretly
on their side!
Ha…
no, I won’t squish it!
I can’t even step
on an ant!
they work so hard
after all…
let them live their lives —
live and let live
is how I like to live,
and if you think otherwise,
well, man, you are a control freak
and have some issues, seriously…
what else do you want me to say?
Garbage Notes:
This one starts out with a little random free association. And it’s kind of all over the place. So let’s unpack it a little.
I kinda like the image of the goddess with the pineapple staff. But as for what it means—not a clue. Does the symbol of the pineapple have any significance? Or the fact that she’s ushering in people through the castle gates? We’ll have to get the psychoanalysts in on this one.
The classics are always lost on the younger ones—is this true? I don’t know. I think each new generation gets new classics. But it’s good to at least have a passing knowledge of the good stuff from the past.
As for the Walking Dead spin-offs. I definitely enjoyed the Daryl Dixon show. Thought it was very different than the main show and well worth the time. And the deep cut of U2’s Seconds playing in the season finale really topped it off for me.
Dead City, not as great in my opinion. As for the Rick Grimes and Michonne spin-off, well I haven’t checked that one out yet, but we’ll see. Seems promising. And I have been kind of curious about what exactly happened to those characters.
Re: Cold Showers—I try not to make a habit of it, but they are refreshing in the summer. And it’s good to help you cool off if you have shitty A/C in the bathroom, which I did at the time I wrote this poem. And who doesn’t enjoy drying off in their towels? Or without a towel—that might actually be better. Especially in the privacy of your own place.
And finally, the poem goes into musings about insects. Last summer there was this huge thing about spotted lantern flies in my home state of New Jersey. Everyone on the news was saying to kill them on sight because they’re invasive. I understood why. They’re apparently very harmful to certain plants and crops and stuff. But I just couldn’t do it. I thought they were so cute. And not once did I find myself able to squish one.
So yeah, I have a hard time killing bugs (morally, at least). In practice it’s obviously not so hard. I think that’s why people do it. It’s so easy to just crunch it under your shoe. And maybe some people feel powerful doing it, because it’s so easy. But every time I look at a scary spider or something I think, shit, it’s you or me, bud. And then I end up scooping it up in a little cup and bringing it outside.
Does it save me any karma points? Probably not. I mean, maybe. I still feel like a fairly unlucky person most of the time. But I suppose never quite as unlucky as those helpless little bugs.
Franco Amati 2024
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Wait until we hit 2050 and we’re forced to watch reruns of The Walking Dead on the Moon. Might happen sooner, come to think of it.
For some reason, this post sparked my imagination. Is it because Homer is someone I pay attention to? Homer sits upon his throne of crushed beer cans and pizza boxes, controller gripped tightly in his hand, as a constant barrage of explosions and gunfire floods the television screen before him. The flickering light illuminates his face, twisted into a manic grin as he ruthlessly mows down hordes of virtual zombies.
The sounds of screams, growls, and gunshots fill the room, coming from the TV and blending with Homer's occasional curse or grunt of frustration. The volume is turned up high, creating an almost deafening effect.