Ode to My Wife’s Purse
You hung upon the rack that day
You hung upon the rack that day
So shiny and so new
You shone and sparkled brightly
So that folks would look at you.
Then she came by to pick you up
And add you to her life
Armed with just a credit card
You were purchased by my wife.
You knew that she would love you
For better or for worse
She smiled a smile that truly said
“I’m happy you’re my purse.”
She slung you on her shoulder
You dangled by your strap
And when she finally got you home
She filled you with her crap.
Make-up, Tums, and jewelry
Keys and glasses, too
It seemed there was no limit
To what she’d stuff in you.
So on it went, day after day
She drug you to her work
And to the school, and to the store
She yanked on you and jerked.
She swung you at that hobo
And threw you in the car
She kept on stuffing things in you
Oh what a purse you are!
But time went on, and you got dull
She wanted something ‘hipper’
She had to push in “five more pounds”
She finally broke your zipper.
But still she drug you on her trips
Oh God, oh drat, oh curses!
She stood in downtown Washington
And drooled at brand new purses.
You’d been so good, been there so long
This was the final straw
What now she wanted oh so much
Were knock-offs that she saw.
And now she’s finally had enough
She’s got herself some cash
She’s carrying another purse
And you lay in the trash.
But you will get your vengeance
For that shiny purse so new
Will one day take its place right there
In the landfill next to you.
So thank you, purse, for all you’ve done
So faithful and so true
But now you’re old and useless
And she’s grown tired of you.
This was written about my stepmother's purse. It contains a lot of inside references, but the story is pretty funny.
Danielle, I have never read a poem about purses before, but there is always first time. The rhymes are good and the structure too. The plot of the ode is pretty realistic and maybe it can be considered as sarcasm to all women that absolutely torture their purses. The description of the whole process of taking, using and stuffing the handbag is fascinating due to all details. The combination of a brutal phrase expressing the act of torturing the purse and after that it’s praise as in the stanzas “She kept on stuffing things in you, Oh what a purse you are!” are an impressive approach for being ironic. I like the idea of illustrating how the wife uses her handbag for everything in every case and she cannot go out without it, but on the other hand after some time, when this object is pretty old and does not look good, she changes it for a new one.
ReplyDeleteI saw that the poem is referenced to your stepmother and her purse. My piece of advice is that if you want to make the writing more emblematic and reveal characteristics about the wife’s individuality, maybe you should include some details about her attitude towards people, her husband and life as a whole and use the purse as a symbol.