Filling Station Poem by Elizabeth Bishop

Filling Station

Rating: 3.1


Oh, but it is dirty!
--this little filling station,
oil-soaked, oil-permeated
to a disturbing, over-all
black translucency.
Be careful with that match!

Father wears a dirty,
oil-soaked monkey suit
that cuts him under the arms,
and several quick and saucy
and greasy sons assist him
(it's a family filling station),
all quite thoroughly dirty.

Do they live in the station?
It has a cement porch
behind the pumps, and on it
a set of crushed and grease-
impregnated wickerwork;
on the wicker sofa
a dirty dog, quite comfy.

Some comic books provide
the only note of color--
of certain color. They lie
upon a big dim doily
draping a taboret
(part of the set), beside
a big hirsute begonia.

Why the extraneous plant?
Why the taboret?
Why, oh why, the doily?
(Embroidered in daisy stitch
with marguerites, I think,
and heavy with gray crochet.)

Somebody embroidered the doily.
Somebody waters the plant,
or oils it, maybe. Somebody
arranges the rows of cans
so that they softly say:
ESSO--SO--SO--SO

to high-strung automobiles.
Somebody loves us all.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Sunita Kapur 27 March 2011

The touch of beauty catches her eye and her heart and the poem gets written!

15 9 Reply
* Sunprincess * 29 January 2014

.......it's nice to find beauty when you least expect to...

6 1 Reply
Mario 19 October 2021

Cá bhfuil an leithreas?

0 2 Reply
Brídín 22 October 2021

these men these men x

0 0 Reply
Elizabeth Bishop 21 October 2021

stop with the plagiarism! , i wrote this from the heart, , , , , q

0 0 Reply
Luigi 21 October 2021

Henlo

0 0 Reply
Karen Obama 21 October 2021

Brilliant poem that really tackles the patriarchy head one good job bishop xoxo

0 0 Reply
Luigi 21 October 2021

Mario help i cant see out of my left eye

0 0 Reply
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Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop

Worcester, Massachusetts
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