Itchy Feet
“You should forgive him,” my mother says.
“He can’t help it that his dancing causes heartache.”
“Drop it, Mama,” I say. “Don’t should on me.
The day I forgive him will be the day
the Eiffel Tower topples
or the Tallahatchie Bridge gets broken into dust.”
I swear that woman thinks I should jump through
ten thousand-thousand hoops for Jim Bob,
but I’m so sick of jumping
my lung’s about to burst.
I’m ready to bolt from this family and find another.
Any family will do, as long as it’s not this one.
I just can’t shoulder the burden anymore.
Besides, my feet are gettin’ itchy.
I hear that down there at the river shallows,
where thirty sinners gathered to be baptized last night,
there’s a preacher-man from Mountainville—
some say he’s a prophet—
who can tell me what I need to know.
Think I’ll go and visit him,
him and all those sinners.
My feet are gettin’ itchy
and I’d best be on my way.
© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Posted on October 16, 2011, in my poetry, The Poetry Pantry, The Sunday Whirl, Thursday Poets' Rally. Bookmark the permalink. 24 Comments.
Magical Mystical Teacher 
Forgiveness is advisable. And while I’m dispensing cliches, look to yourself for answers! All typed with a smile, of course!
But…my self isn’t the narrator of this piece!
It’s fictional, yes? Ha ha! I recall somebody once assuming I was a complete a**hole because a character in a story of mine was.
All good literature is fiction, is it not? 🙂
Indeed!
Great voice in this piece, I love it! The Tallahatchie bridge reference made me smile and brought a lot to the feel of the piece.
No point running away from a problem 🙂 More may be lurking elsewhere!! So better to resolve the known problem by giving the learner who is slow maybe another chance!! I do not know who Jim Bob is?? Is he just fictional in the poem? 🙂
Jim Bob is the fictional brother of the narrator in the poem.
Those itchy feet are a great sign of curiosity! A refreshing little narrative!
You certainly lassoed that voice and brought the whole familial context into view. I too enjoyed those itchy feet! Great piece.
Your title pulled me right in. Nice narrative write.
Pamela
Love love love what you’ve done here! I really like the feel of this narrative piece and the conversational language you used. “Don’t should on me” is a great line!
It is a totally engrossing kind of poem!
hanging my head
Fantastic poem, mmt! There are so many families this poem describes. I’m with Marianne – I love “Don’t ‘should’ on me.”
And by the way, I assumed it was a wife with a wandering (“dancing”) husband, not a sibling of an aggravating brother. Your reply to Nanka clarified that for me – not that it really matters, I suppose; it works either way. 🙂
One of the wonderful things about poetry is that the reader brings her or his own experience to the poem and new meanings emerge! 🙂
dancing that causes heartache. intriguing. brings new meaning to heartache.
Yes, a hunt for a new family! Its quite a common emotion for any1 at times, u get frustrated with the one you have.. I can relate there…
Loving the feel of this. I can only imagine what Jim Bob did! Thank you for sharing.
I am so hep on this one……
Love this! Itchy feet leading you to a spiritual awakening. Great poem. =)
a gradual growth and best wishes.
fantastic expression, loved your creative process.
🙂
Brilliant piece =)
A great write, interesting, catchy and well done
smart one, glad to see you continued support to poets rally.
hope that you have enjoyed visiting your peers.
come again tomorrow, when we have rally week 55 going on.
if you share early, you get better feedback.
🙂