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Antebellum

a poem

By Matthew J. FrommPublished 3 years ago 2 min read
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 poetrysocial commentarysurreal poetry

About the Creator

Matthew J. Fromm

Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of arcane knowledge.

Here there be dragons, knights, castles, and quests (plus the occasional dose of absurdity).

I can be reached at [email protected]

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    Written by Matthew J. Fromm