a vacation to antigua
trying to kill
w. somerset maugham
but the television in the waiting room is so loud
there’s no point in even compiling
an independent thought
there is another celebrity on the screen
some bubbly blonde who’s been around longer
than her talent should’ve allowed
she’s forty-one but looks twenty
and everyone in the waiting room is wowed by her
we’re obviously not at the plastic surgeon
the actress is talking about her new movie
a comedy, a sex comedy
you can see everything, she says
ev-ery-thing
a few people in the waiting room tisk
one lady shouts, if you’ve got it flaunt it
we’re lobbing hackneyed phrases out there
on a hot july afternoon
the interviewer asks the actress about children
she shakes her head and laughs
motherhood is too hard, she says. i could never do it
then she giggles and shakes her million dollar ass
in the waiting room there is a mutiny boiling
mothers, aunts, grandmothers, great aunts
and mothers-to-be are all scowling at the television
they suddenly hate this actress
she’s selfish, one of them says
who does she think she is, another shouts
prancing around on screen with her tits hanging out?
grow up, they shout
my children are my greatest joy, one says to another
they both nod the gentle nod of motherhood
as their kids continue to run around the waiting room
knocking over magazines
and smacking at the glass door with their fat palms
i look up at the television
the blonde actress’ face is wide with contentment
her eyes sparkle and her teeth are white
she’s everything we’ve ever paid our money to see
then i go back to
w. somerset maugham
as the interviewer asks her
about her rock star boyfriend
and the vacation that she took to antigua.
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