Is It A Burden
Is it a burden to be so perfect
And to have such perfect children
And to have such a perfect marriage
And to look so perfect all the time
And to make every decision perfectly
Cocktails on Thursday with Sammy—perfect
You know your sweater really does look perfect
That mango salad you made-it turned out perfectly
And that car with your shoes
Goddammit that's perfect
Your dog—perfect
Your computer
Well it works perfectly
My supervisor—he's perfect
The desk, it looks perfect
All and all the day was perfect
And lovely and still
What did we do
We walked the earth
So perfect!
Perfect principles
Spring and all
It's perfection
Perfectly ok to be the sallow
Perfect skin and teeth
And shiny hair
And the bathroom clean
The curtains heavy, cream
Hanging to block the noonday sun
Perfectly
The coffin
Light blue
Well that's perfect
The family of worms to eat the face
They did a perfect job
Never coming back here again
I think that seems perfect
Goodbye
Great
Fantastic
Oh all the best
My love to you and yours
Fondly
Finally
Your little heart
Nestled in the air
For all to see
Perfect
Copyright Credit: Dorothea Lasky, "Is It A Burden" from Milk. Copyright © 2018 by Dorothea Lasky. Reprinted by permission of the author and Wave Books.
Source: Milk (Wave Books, 2018)