---

 

This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book “Oasis” Down in the Dirt v215 (1/24) Order the paperback book:

Order this writing that appears in the one-of-a-kind anthology The Limits of Imagination the Down in the Dirt January - April 2024 issues collection book		get the 422 page January - April 2024 Down in the Dirt 6" x 9" ISBN# perfect-bound paperback book:

The In-Law Invasion

John Grey

We are descended upon by in-laws.
Car after car pulls up outside our door
loaded with them, mine and yours.
How many does this make now?
I’ve lost count.

They spread out into every room.
Some take over the television.
“American Idol” blares with Mariah Carey wannabes.
Something called “Sponge Bob Square Pants”
invokes howls of hideous laughter.
The Miss Marples among them
run fingers along mantles,
look for clues amid the dust.
Or they snoop under beds
or in bathroom cabinets.

And they talk and talk.
Nervous breakdowns, divorce,
and a kid in trouble with the law —
no topic is off their menu.
And, if the subjects of their gossip
are, even now, pulling into the driveway,
then so much the better.

They are trained in the art
of breaking an occasional vase
and leaving muddy prints
on the parlor carpet.
And there are so many cigarette butts
dropped into the grass around
our front doorstep
it’s like a shrine to Philip Morris.
As for the refrigerator.
it’s a prime target for their hunger.
Leftovers or cans of beer—
anything’s fair game.

Before we were married, we had no in-laws.
So love must share some of the blame for this.
As does buying a home
and moving into this neighborhood.
And being ordinary. And having family.
Talk about cross-hairs.

Copyright of written pieces remain with the author, who has allowed it to be shown through Scars Publications and Design.Web site © Scars Publications and Design. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.

Problems with this page? Then deal with it...