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Antebellum

a poem

By Matthew FrommPublished 6 months ago 2 min read
7
Antebellum
Photo by Ron Dauphin on Unsplash

Everybody’s going to the party

To have a real good time

Dressed in their Sunday best

"Men and women, friends and allies

Come invited, or not at all

To our most humble home"

Boulevards of magnolias

And sweetgum

Cast shadows on white columns

Everybody’s going to the party

To have a real good time

Moms and Pops call it wholesome

Suits and dresses

Festoon porcelain skin

They empty at the carriage circle

In imports they wish were elephants

Marching past onyx statues

“Come now, pay them no mind.”

Everybody’s going to the party

To have a real good time

They waltz into the dining room

Onyx statues looking on

To a table lined with china

Bought with a purloined coin

One month's wages

For a goblet full of gold

Their guests demand nothing less

Everybody’s going to the party

To have a real good time

Conversation begins,

Pious and hot

“They want to take our guns,”

“Not during dinner, hun”

“And our sons,”

“I said–”

Not during Dinner, Hun”

Everybody’s going to the party

To have a real good time

The onyx statues stare

Silent and unblinking

As boys and girls

Despair from their red chairs

Deciding what's unfair

“Justice!”

“Freedom!” They chant

Everybody’s going to the party

To have a real good time

They drift deeper, sinister

One cries “oppression”

Another “discrimination!”

The statues silently serve

A fat pig devoured

Champagne flows

“This only ends in blows”

Everybody’s going to the party

A good time had

Man of the manor stands

With wife and children in hand

To bid farewell to their guests

Guest departed, and

Without any subtle wrath

To a statue, the wife commands

“Be a dear, draw me a bath.”

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A/N

If you've enjoyed this, please leave a like and an insight below. If you really enjoyed this, tips to fuel my coffee addiction are always appreciated. All formatting is designed for desktops. Inspired by my 2000's metal playlist. All my works can be found below:

slam poetrysurreal poetrysocial commentary
7

About the Creator

Matthew Fromm

Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of random knowledge. The best way to find your perfect story is to write it yourself.

Here there be dragons, and knights, and castles, and quests for entities not wishing to be found.

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insight

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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Comments (5)

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  • Patrick M. Ohana2 months ago

    A very interesting piece : )

  • Manisha Dhalani6 months ago

    Oh, I didn't see that coming. Really liked the way you wrote it - the imagery made me feel like I was in that present moment as you described it. Well done.

  • That took a left turn! A very powerful poem!

  • Judey Kalchik 6 months ago

    The details are precise and place the reader on the scene. At the same time the staccato movement through the poem conveys a brittle flatness that matches the insincere personalities. Really good!

  • Hannah Moore6 months ago

    As soon as I saw the magnolias I was looking for the statues. This is beautifully crafted, it walks the line, not ever shouting the message, making us come to it, but leaving no doubt.

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