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Barbara Etlin

Three Poems 

The Seven Maids Form A Union

MEMO

To: Mr. Lewis Carroll

Re: Your poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter," in your novel, "Through the Looking Glass"

From: The Seven Maids' Union

Just because we've worked so long
Without a cent in pay,
Do not assume we'll go along
Like that for one more day.

As you will note, our work has stopped.
We're powerless no more.
So if you want your ocean mopped
Up from the ocean floor

You owe us over a hundred years
Of retroactive wages,
Plus overtime--oh, stop those tears!--
Or we'll desert your pages.

Clock Watcher

the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg
watch the rosewood clock

time melting in a Dali painting
which needs fresh batteries

and T.J. is eternally young
although he wears yellow glasses
his blue eyes will never get crow's feet

running backward
as fast as you can
won't make you any younger

but blue eyes in yellow glasses
hanging on the wall
laugh at the valley of ashes

when the rosewood clock runs out of time
it will gaze enviously at
the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

Refrigerator Magnet Collage

Spock raises one eyebrow
at the company
he must endure.

Bogie, in his white dinner jacket,
invites him to play chess,
but Spock would have to teach him
how that three-level board works.

"Think you can beat me, Vulcan?
You were misinformed.
Played in Central Park
during the Depression
a dollar a game
when I couldn't get work on Broadway.
I'm good. I'm very good."

"Fascinating," Spock says.
"But I refuse to eat meat."

"Huh?" Bogie asks.

"Look at that grocery list
over there
on that owl-shaped paper."

"I like hamburger," Bogie says.
"That's what I order
every day at Romanoff's.
Did you know I once got in there
without a tie?"

"Humans are so illogical," Spock says
and sets up the chess board,
his eyebrow still raised.