Another Excuse! Another Lie! Poem by Efren Petalver Carranza

I dreamt of Utopia,
Where I loved my neighbor’s wife –
Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and more
– Her Vegetarians’ Paradise

Like Monet’s work, the sun effuses
To Minnie Pearl in this night of my version
With Snoopy sniffing Charlotte
Hiding behind the chute

As Motrin’s working on this arthritis
Pain eased into night of my oblivion
That every now and then, I heard me snoring
As I soared inside the plane

It’s Casper wrapped-up in the clouds
Watching Pearl husked tamales’ wrap
And from the aisle of yellow corns
Henry’s tractor whistling its horn

So as my clock’s alarm went on and on
I got myself heavier than I could
“Get up! Get up! ” I told myself – yet UP!
To the phone I called in sick instead.