Momma Said Be Nice by Chris Kads

Momma Said Be Nice Chris KadsThis poem was originally published in Blood+Honey Lit mag and is being republished with SHINE International Poetry Series.You don’t expect to serve mashed potatoes and steak for breakfast. Don’t expect to find urine in a tub or to have sympathy for the assaulter who pissed in it. I’ve learned to let expectations fly like ashes. When the men retire so do the rules instilled by their mothers. They’ll swim in the deep end of the pool, tiptoe into the kitchen, sneak a cookie after bedtime. I know now that two things can be true at once. That the mush can be unappetizing and filling. That a room can be full of memories and empty of soul. That you can pity the mousein the trap, while being gladhe can no longer bite.I don’t like the way it all went down. I wouldn’t wish a life behind curtained bars on anyone. But when we finally remove flesh-colored food, scrub stains from the ceramic tub, and open the door for the new resident, I’m happy to see it’s a woman.More from Chris Kads ↓@chris_kads on InstagramChris runs Gut Punch Prompts, a twice monthly poetry challenge on Instagram looking for poems that contain visceral language, raw emotion, and/or thought-provoking political and social commentary. In other words, poems that pack a punch!Mentioned in this episode:Write After with One Poem OnlyWrite After is a way to encourage poets to listen and write, and use National Poetry Month to highlight how listening to poetry makes us better poets. I know I write the best when I’m surrounded by beautiful poetry–it’s part of the reason I created this podcast, and I want to encourage others to share this practice. If you want to join: Listen to a poem from the month of April on One Poem Only, then write your own in response. I will pick one for each day to read in June for a special series: One Poem After 🍎🍏 Submissions close May 15.Write After Submissions Form