Lisa Kaufman is  a visual artist, a yoga teacher and a poet. Her  poems have been published in several print and online publications, including “Lyrical Somerville” column ( Nov 5, 2008 Lisa Kaufman “His House”)  of The Somerville News, Somerville, MA., Bagels with the Bards: Anthology Number 4/Number 5/Number 6, and Wilderness House Literary Review.  Kaufman is a Somerville resident and wrote, “Follies” after catching the local Memorial Day Parade passing through into Davis Square. Each moment was recreated with run-on sentences, pressed unrelenting into a cavalcade of memories.

Lisa Kaufman

Follies

I see him pulling a Shaws shopping cart of floating toys bobbing over the hill moving up the street

Pink knotted and tied by their necks showing off painted faces filled with air like heads

Nodding through cages he must have bred in his backyard and his tattoos running down each knuckle from his throat

And shouting get your royal balloon scepter for ten dollars which he twisted and topped off with eyes

Waving out to the kids with a bubble gun in the shape of a pistol leaking soap at their feet

Shooting at their shoes while waiting for the parade waiting a very long time for something

So they raise their hands and the parents turn up their noses while pulling down their arms like my mom did for bunny ears

I never got at Easter when handed out at the mall or a green striped giraffe on a stick that deflates after a week

A rock and roll station fades in and out comes a public works truck with its lights yellow speeding down the center line

Then comes the Special Ops Unit fist bumping their male peers at the corner of Cedar followed by Mickey Mouse in underwear

Spiderman wearing white orthopedic oxfords with velcro and Cinderella in flip flops running up to the girls

Irish pipes and drums after a rented silver corvette for old vets and a unicyclist juggles in circles dropping a club

Rolling under Superman Sponge Bobs and a barrage of big men inside tiny sports cars with Shriners

Hats like red party cups turned over flying black tassels and   miniature 18-wheeler trucks swerve bellowing their horns

More men tip fat on tiny antiques with ladders bells and pull strings looping along speedy go-karts and Harleys

And one overturns thrown like wrapped candy sliding to the curb from passing trolleys for kids to snatch falling under a float

Which I grab to get on fast and find the tattooed vendor making him untie all his floating toys pushing past

A roadblock of bulky clowns and   a too slow flatbed trailer with three trumpets and slide trombones rolling out of tune

— Lisa D. Kaufman
May 27, 2015

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