There’s no good men out there, Mamma says,
then yammers on ‘bout my dear Daddy who left us
for booze and other women. Never even phoned
once in those twenty-odd years before he dropped
dead of cirrhosis in a sleazy downtown hotel.
There’s no good men out there. Big Daddy
beat Gramma. Knocked a tooth out once, called
her “Dumb Swede,” ‘fore he ran off with a girl
of seventeen. Then Andy who lied, spent Gram’s
job money. Third one was a crotchety, mean drunk.
There’s no good men out there. Great Uncle Harvey-
never the same after the war. Nothing but a dirt poor
farmer. Strayed down to the gin mill most nights. No
indoor plumbing, all those long winter nights racing out
to the old outhouse, dodging piles of chicken shit.
There’s no good men out there. Sister used her long
string of them as good example: potheads, speeders,
one musician, and that Mamma’s boy vet who hears
choppers overhead and needs five Jim Beam’s
for “medicinal purposes” ‘fore he can sleep nights.
There’s no good men out there. Doctor made me recall
a few jokers of my own: G. who hated working, oh yeah,
and Rob with his 6 DUIs. Surfer dude, Joe, high on fiberglass,
that well-heeled tight wad. When Doc called my latest
nothing but an animated dildo, I laughed so hard I ‘bout cried.
There’s no good men out there. Seems like every gal I know
says there’s no good men out there, anywhere. Maggie’s John
screws any babe who gives him a second glance. Sue says her
Frankie might as well be mute. every man alive's a dumb shit.
But hey, all’s I need is one.