Photo courtesy of Morguefile
White trash sitting on the patio, flicking cigarettes into tall grass.
Junk strewn about the yard
A camper rests on cinder blocks, sending roots into the ground
slowly rotting into the littered landscape.
White trash collecting cans, every penny helps.
Old man throws back a beer as kids scour the roadside for aluminum.
Old man looking like a fool, trying to be cool
with a cowboy hat wrapped in snakeskin, skin dirty, clothes dirty.
White trash dumpster diving looking for a score.
Amazing what folks will throw away. Just wipe it off and eat it.
Dinners made from government cheese and church hand outs.
Those rich folks don’t know what they’re missing.
White trash I was born to but never was.
Reaching for the stars, brushing off the dirt, the grime.
Staying one step ahead of myself.
Spent a lifetime trashing that.
©2010 frayedges and http://www.frayedges.wordpress.com
April 11th, 2011 at 9:33 am
you are never a white trash….
cool word play, beautiful sentiments, thanks for coming..
Happy Rally.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Thanks Jingle! Glad to be back in the rally. Haven’t been writing as much lately.
April 11th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Your writing took me to the front porch where I could see everything. A real thought provoker. Enjoyed it, thank you
April 13th, 2011 at 7:16 am
No color is trash.
Nice flow!
April 13th, 2011 at 8:05 am
Thanks -D.
April 13th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
thought provoking! I like it
April 13th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Wow! I had never seen an old (white) lady going through a trash can looking for food until I visited Los Angeles, the city of angels.
Seems there is a spark missing and surroundings reflect it. Great word pictures!
April 13th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Thanks Stafford and haggishead. And, yes, Stafford, LA would be the place to see all colors sifting through garbage.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:24 am
Great mix of anger, nostalgia, strength. And fantastic use of specific imagery that took me right there.
Keep up the fine work!
April 14th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
I agree with D, no color is trash. Vivid images here!
Rally Week 41 – My Poetry
April 14th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
strong imagery….i have seen all colors going thru the garbage…that in itself is sad and says alot about our society today.
April 17th, 2011 at 9:25 am
Thanks Danielle, Vinay, and Dream trekker.
April 14th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
[...] Lisa (frayed edges): http://frayedges.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/white-trash/ [...]
April 15th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
please vote for fellow poets, you are nominated, you win one vote automatically, if you vote for fellow poets., you will win another vote for yourself, and win at least excellent award….
keep it up.
Bless your talent.
Cheers.
April 15th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
That is one very powerful poem
April 16th, 2011 at 10:29 am
Thanks Richard. Hope all is well with you.
April 16th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Hey there’s some good stuff in that pile!
April 16th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Ha ha!
April 16th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Vivid picture and thought-provoking. Shows the power we have to choose. This reminded me of Jeanette Wall’s Memoir “The White Castle.”
April 16th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Thanks! I am not familiar with the White Castle. I will have to check it out.
April 16th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
[...] White Trash [...]
April 16th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I could see the yards you write about so clearly, perhaps because they’re right down the street from me! Excellent poem.
April 17th, 2011 at 12:06 am
You’re not white trash, but I appreciate the where from and why of the poem. It’s well done. Nice to see that you’ve been back at the blog. I thought you had dropped out again! Poem on …
Hope you are well.
April 17th, 2011 at 9:26 am
Thanks Jamie. I have been more inconsistent in writing, but I am doing well. Good to see you again.
April 17th, 2011 at 7:33 am
Strong piece, FrayedEdges my friend. You paint quite a picture… of somewhere you nor I want to be. And by the sounds of it, somewhere you where born but managed to escape from. That’s where this poem got really good – when you revealed you were, and left it behind you. Up until then, it might have been a rant against an unpopular sector of society… well-played storytelling.
Warmest Salad
Luke
April 17th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Thanks Luke. Yes, unfortunately (fortunately?) this is a 1st-person perspective. And you’re right- it’s a place I never want to revisit.
April 20th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
my god! what imagery! stunning.
April 27th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Thanks TC.
June 24th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
As a white trash autodidact I learned a lot from this…
Regards,
Doug
June 24th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Thanks for stopping by Doug and commenting.