Poem for Pat by Karen Blair

STANDING IN THE RIVER

Yes, yes,
Talk about saving the environment
With every breath,
But as you stand shoulder-to-shoulder
In the river,
Talk about breasts.

Yes, yes,
Make the world a better place,
Mingle and laugh,
But as you stand shoulder-to-shoulder
At the buffet,
Talk about the Pap.

Yes, yes,
Depart from the topic and the cause
For which you came,
For even if you save Mother Earth,
The earth without someone’s mother
Will never be the same.