these blues here

these blues here

fiction
edward w pritchard

in the style of Jack Dupree, with admiration

These blues here is for them honey's
sixteen or fourteen
mocking and deriding the young men
who study and resist
sacrificing to make something of themselves later

These blues here is for them damsels
seventeen or so
after deriding the young men who study and resist
they chase them gangsters and bad-boys
who are dangerously aloof and scoff at all the rules

These blues here is for them madam's
any age will do
running with players
ending with a baby or two
stuck to take care of them alone

These blues here is for them dames
24 to the day
swearing at the government
cause they don't give them their due
telling their girls to hate men

These blues here is for the sad mademoiselles
30 and tired and confused
borrowing and borrowing to go back to school
elusively trying to develop a trade
working two crummy jobs
sacrificing to make things better for their kids

These blues here is for those women
age unimportant
complaining about their friends who are men
tearing him down, belittle and raising their eyes
feeling superior but unhappy too
disgusted because he ain't the same anymore

These blues here are for those females
taking care of business
watching their grandchildren
training the boys to be gentlemen
protecting the girls and teaching values
taking them to church even on Wednesday night

These blues is for those ladies
old enough to know the score
teach those who are younger
morality and spirituality
whether they want to know or not