Genre: Lyric Essay, Dramatic Monologue
Illustrations by Walter Gabrielson
"She's a real mess. And a very bad mother I'm sure, that Anna Nicole. Very bad, indeed. So I don't know what everyone is crying about. Just look at her. What'll bring you to tears is when you see her kid, the poor thing. That child hasn't a chance. Well, not that anyone is doing a very good job these days, raising their kids, I mean. The kids on this block nowadays. They're starving! My kids, they may have grown into strange people - my little Sherry, for instance, she's all talk about veganism and gluten-free pumpernickel toast and asparagus. But when she was a girl, you bet as sure as Sunday dinner she was well-fed. We were a real family. Oh, we were as happy on Tuesday afternoon as we were on Saturday evening. And my husband, may he rest in peace, he was a good man. We used to take the kids to the movies. I'd get all dolled-up and look real nice. My husband would tell me 'Sandy, you're as perfect as a painting. You're a real woman with pearl earrings.' The kids would have on their nice clothes. We knew how to do things up. And on Sunday we went to church with a real pastor, not these 'spiritual healers' they talk about nowadays. We were good Catholics and we never heard a word about 'Scientology' or 'psychiatry.' We were just good hardworking people. Not anymore, not these kids. They don't stand a chance. Not with the way things are now - Pop Stars molesting kids right off the street. Did you know there's parents who don't even let their little one's celebrate Christmas? They're all talk about 'commercialism' and 'where our forefathers went wrong.' They all think they know better. All these ideas these young parents have today... But I don't say anything. Dean and I just sit on the front stoop and watch them go by. Because I had a good life, look at me. I'm as happy on Tuesday afternoon as I am on Saturday evening."
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