Porcelain

Porcelain.
Dull brown film of rust.
Our commode.

Dang it, Earl!

Dang it, Earl!
You still ain't fixed that winder.
Get the duct tape.

Good Lord, June!

Good Lord, June!
You ain't got no sense.
Not a lick.

Jake Got Caught!

Jake got caught!
They thowed him in jail.
With no bail.

It's Payday...

It's payday...
I done worked a week.
Time to quit!

Shut Yer Mouth

Shut yer mouth!
You ain't foolin' me...
I ain't dumb.

Curling Hose

Curling hose.
Gas flows into my tank.
I siphon yours.

Money Talks

Money talks.
And you ain't got none...
So shut up.

That Social Worker

That social worker ~
She says school is free.
So I got to go.

Ther is laws...

Ther is laws...
What Clive done ain't right.
Bigamy!

Quit Eyein' That Girl!

Quit eyein' that girl!
And roll yer tongue in, Eugene.
That gal is jailbait.

Vast Expanse...

Vast expanse...
Linoleum hall:
A roach crawls.

Deziree Hobert!

Deziree Hobert!
Get yer butt in this trailer!
Leave off them boys.

Look at Thet Old Ford

Look at thet old Ford.
I could hotwar it easy!
Let's just hope it runs.

Idiots!

Idiots!
They think they're so smart...
But they ain't.

Well, I'll Be!

Well, I'll be! It's Maud.
And just in time to see Earl ~
He done got paroled.

Hush! It's cler...

Hush! It's cler...
Maybelle is preggers ~
But Vern ain't wise.

If I Said It Oncet

If I said it oncet,
I said it a thousand times:
June ain't got no sense.

Hard Dried Food

Hard dried food.
Bumps on the table.
Feels gritty.

Lord Hep Us!

Lord hep us!
Pearl got her ass whupped.
Call the law!

Now I Know

Now I know
Why Clo looks so fat...
She's knocked up!

Them Britches

Well I know
Them britches don't fit.
But they'll do.

Trailer Park

Trailer park.
Clean and sparkly white.
Snow has fell.

Dirty Clothes

Dirty clothes
Laying on the floor
Smells so sour.

Let's Drop in...

Let's drop in next door.
Angeleener done told me
Clo cooked a meatloaf.

Lots of Men

Lots of men
Would give ther right arm
To be Earl.

Thet Poor Little Kid

Thet poor little kid.
She never knowed her Deddy.
He come from up north.

They Ain't Many Folks

They ain't many folks
Would do whut you done for me.
So I'll bail you out.

I Don't Want No Job

I don't want no job.
But thet-ere social worker
Says I got to look.

Lord, Lord, Lord...

Lord, Lord, Lord...
Whut Bubba won't do!
He's a case.

Call Clovis

Call Clovis...
Tell her to hump it!
It's the cops.

Good Old Earl

Good old Earl!
He swiped us a ham...
Get yer plate.

Them Dumb Kids

Them dumb kids
Is playing outside
In the road.

Thet Earl Wouldn't Work

Thet Earl wouldn't work
In a whip-cream factory!
Bless his worthless heart.

Brown Windows

Brown windows.
Mud tunnels stacked thick.
Dirt daubers.

Rusty Tin

Rusty tin
Curls up from the roof...
Rain gets in.

Hey Deddy!

Hey Deddy!
Maw is headin' next door
To kick ass.

Get Back Here Miss Priss!

Get back here Miss Priss!
You ain't goin' nowhere, girl.
Just set your butt down.

Ice Crystals

Ice crystals.
Winderpanes gleam soft.
Mornin' frost.

I'm Sick of This Place

I'm sick of this place.
We been livin' here a month.
I'll pack and you tote.

Come Midnight...

Come midnight...
The landlord's asleep.
We'll skip out.

Trails of Ice

Trails of ice
Meander around
Strewn litter.

Dump That Bill

Dump that bill.
When the heat goes off
Gran will pay!

Learner's License

New learner's license?!
You can take me to the store.
I'll get us some beer.

Grab Them Teeth!

Grab them teeth!
Ma lost her dentures.
Them might fit.

You Ain't Got No Coat?

You ain't got no coat?
Don't make me no nevermind!
It ain't my problem.

Hide that Meth.

Better hide that meth.
My probation officer
Might be comin' by.

Housework

You get hoppin' Earl.
We got a notice to clean.
"City inspector."

Welcome!

Come on in!
That old hound won't bite.
Got no teeth.

Junk Cars

Here's a old tail light.
That hood might fit our old car.
Good thing we kept 'em.

That Stupid Teacher

That stupid teacher!
Don't you go to school no more!
Guess that'll learn her.

Leavings

Them diners left food!
Can you believe how wasteful?
Stick that in your tote.

Gleaming Icicles

Gleaming icicles.
We shiver beneath our quilt.
And cuss the gas man.

Company

We got company.
Sit down and take a load off...
Watch that chair ~ it's broke!

Desperate Measures

I run out of beer.
I thought I might look for work...
Unless you got more.

Bail Out

Get me my billfold.
We got to go into town.
Grandma's back in jail.

Breakfast

Morning light...
Our kids eat breakfast.
Coke and chips.

Blue Eye Shadder

Thick blue eye shadder,
Painted up to my eyebrows
Looks so elegant.

Food Pyramid

Let's eat nutritious.
Pick us up some vi-eeners.
And get me some beer.

Porch Light

Men drop by.
Drawn by my porch light...
Soft red light.

Rent

Don't pay the rent yet.
I got a chance to buy me
a used ATV.

Break of Dawn

Break of dawn. Breakfast.
Stale chips, sour dip, peanuts.
Not so bad, with beer.

Morning Sun

Morning sun.
Peelings on the floor...
Glistening.

Creeping Roach

Creeping roach
Crawls acrost my plate.
I swat him.

Laundromat

Laundromat.
I wash clothes and loaf.
Watching girls.

Candy for My Love...

Keep a lookout, hon...
I'll tilt the vending machine.
We'll have some candy!

Arguing...

My wife yells.
Brown specks hit my face.
She dips snuff.

White-Trash Woman

My white-trash woman.
My Venus of Willendorf...
Naked. Fat. Waiting.

2009

Two thousand and nine!
Second day of the New Year.
Our rent is done late.

Jailbird

I'm in jail.
I broke probation.
Bail me out.

New Year's Resolution

My Resolution:
Swipe them hubcaps off Earl's car
While he is napping.

Garbage

Garbage smells.
It ain't been took out
Since last month.

Noon Time

It's noon time.
I laze here in bed
With my hounds.

New Year's Day

We partied last night.
This trailer is a pig-sty!
Let's move out of here.

Big Red-Orange Spots

Big red-orange spots
Dotted over dull, flat gray.
Primer on my Ford.