Miss Liberty's Monologue and Meditations
by Ty Bouldin

Miss Liberty's Monologue and Meditations
by Ty Bouldin
Published Dec 24, 2022
59 Pages
Genre: POETRY / American / General
Book Details
A message for 2022 from 1980....
Book Excerpt
from Miss Liberty's Monologue
"Ah, Lump," she sighs, "Good old Lump,
Thicker than a toadfrog's wart."
She holds the popcan like a teacup
The easy grace of her arm
Falling away from a plump but delicate hand.
They play cards at a broken folding table
As attendants come and go through sunlight.
"We were not always so," she says in a distant voice,
Laying down an ace.
"How were we always?" he asks, a child again,
Begging the familiar story.
"In a rat's ass!" she snaps, spying suspected mockery.
"No. Really, Lib. You remember: I forget.
Forget, forgot, forgotten," and his crooked finger
Wipes his broad red nose.
She reaches, pats his arm, forgiving.
"Well..." and she gathers the cards to her:
I was Queen of the May
Before there were Queens, or Kings, or May:
Just flowers, muck, and beasties
Sweet with sweat and blood
And some strange salt-fragrance
Musty, warm, and un-named.
I was Queen of the May
And George and Ben and Tommy
Ran me up the pole like a flag with their names on it
And left me hanging there from the top of the pole
Kicking and laughing and crying and Queen.
They had their favorite toys, too:
Obedient lead soldiers, fire, pen-feathers…
But most of all they had me
Still proud, rowdy, and strong,
Still Queen after all those years.
They were shifty little bastards, too:
Changed the rules, roles at will.
Like once our Fierce Dog (I'd followed him, so still)
Was snuffling the mud at the cattle trough;
I sneaked – and when I pushed him in
He had to pretend to save his pride
He was in the water hunting – frogs, maybe?
Damn quick little things, snuff, snuff.
They were just like that dog
And switched the rules just that quick
But always seemed to come out on top, ya know?
About the Author
