2 by Alice N. Persons

Avoid Cliches like the Plague
or
How to Drive Your English Teacher Batshit


Use a lot of trite-and-true expressions.
If it sounds vaguely familiar, throw it in.
Its alright, you're teacher can handle it -
she may have to lay down
or have a cold beer
after reading a stack of papers --
bad wrting has that affect on her --
but she can deal.
Thats what they pay her the big bucks for.
Your probably going to pass this class
even though writting is not your favorit thing.

O to be nineteen years old,
master of video game, iPod,
a tiny, complicated cell phone,
all things electric --
but mostly a stranger to those low-tech
blocks of paper
called books
and not to recognize
or have any interest in purging
the many clichés
sprinkled threwout your paper.
like flies in the gravy.
That was a simile, but don't worry.
it won't be on the quiz.


Next Life

I will be a lovely slim Asian woman
with a great metabolism
who tans
I will never get up at 5 AM to shovel snow
I will live in some place like Italy or France
where having all of August off is normal
and older women are still sexy
I will wear a bikini whenever possible
definitely pose for nude photos
and go skinny dipping, with and without friends,
in all seasons, day and night.
I will play at least one instrument
have a voice like k.d. Lang
and never, ever wear pantyhose
have all-season good hair
I will not waste myself, body or spirit,
on any unworthy man
I'll win the lottery
build a huge animal shelter
always know how to end a poem



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