Plain Old Folks

[pinerow]

Plain Old Folks
© Ramon Piñero 9/11/2007


Just plain old people
living plain old lives
working at plain old jobs
seeing one plain old day
turn into another
plain old night.

Plain old Mary tries to make
her plain old day
seem not so plain
with a chug of
plain old whiskey
on a plain old night.

Plain old people
living plain old lives
havin’ plain old children
so they can have
the same old lives.

Plain old Mike lives
his own plain old life
he throws back a
plain old beer
tryin’ to dull the
plain old
pain that he lives
every day.

Mary and Mike used to
not be plain old folks
with plain old jobs
and plain old lives.

As a matter of plain old fact
there used to be a time
when they were
in the flower of their youth
even though their parents
had already succumbed
to the plainness
of their existence.

They were alive
and in love
and that seemed to
fight back that
everyday infection
of dullness
and ennui that
had already
struck down the
people around them.

Nothing stood in
the way of
their escape;
they dreamed
of a grand old time
in a grand old house
with some damn
great kids.

Mary woke up
one grand old day
and started throwing up
in her parents
plain old toilet,
the next day
she threw up again
in that plain old
toilet. She walked over to
that plain old black phone
and called ‘not-yet’
plain old Mike.


When does the
light begin to dim?
When does the
excitement begin to pale?
When does the
bounce in your step
become a lively gait,
and then a
sluggish drag
every morning
at the beginning
of a plain old day.

The next week
they took a
long walk to the
old courthouse;
I now pronounce you
Mister and Misses
Plain old folks.

As the light slowly
begins to ebb.
The reality of reality
begins to settle
on their shoulders
and their backs
begin to bend,
They start their
plain old lives
in their plain old town.
waiting for the light
to finally give way
to that plain
old darkness
that will begin
their end.

[flying_wahini]

1. loved it.... thanks

n/t