Please enjoy the poem, and feel free to leave a comment.

We Do This, We Do That

by Shawn Pittard

~inspired by Frank O’Hara

It took a while but we’re comfortable now
with my helping her with her shower.

We’re past the self-conscious joking.
We focus on the pleasures

of hot water, shampoo, and a bath sponge.
We take the time to scramble eggs

with parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Spend the rest of the morning cleaning up the kitchen.

Some days we go out to the wildlife area
with our binoculars and a couple of drive-through sodas

listening to rock-and-roll—
Mark Knopfler is a favorite but Elvis is the King.

During late afternoons, we tally up
the living and the dead:

a younger brother living and retired to the Philippines,
two of her big sister’s three sons still alive;

among the dead her parents,
her husband of 62 years.

She says,
I’m your mother?

Yes, I’m your son.
But you’re so old.

from Witness by Shawn Pittard (The Poetry Box, 2024)
nominated for The Pushcart Prize by Shawn Aveningo Sanders, editor/publisher

The post “We Do This, We Do That” <br>by Shawn Pittard appeared first on The Poetry Box.

Wednesday, Dec 4, 2013
7:00-9:00 pm

Verse on the Vine Poetry Series

at

Petra Vineyard Wine Gallery
627 Sutter Street (Old Town Historic Folsom)
Folsom, CA 95630

It’s our last show of the year and we’re very proud to present two extremely talented and popular performers. Shawn Pittard’s poetry is beautifully brought to life by his lyrical poetic voice along with the musical sounds of jazz/blues musician Clemon Charles. The two of them have been performing all over Northern California for years. We invite you to step inside the art covered walls of Petra Vineyard Wine Gallery, sip some award winning wine, and join us for an evening of poetry & music.

We also invite you to celebrate two years of community, poetry, art and wine with the release of the Verse on the Vine Anthology, where you’ll find poetry from over 20 featured poets, including three Poets Laureate and several out-of-state poets, along with a photographic journey of all our performers and open-mic poets.

The post Verse on the Vine f. Shawn Pittard & Clemon Charles appeared first on The Poetry Box.