The Sunday Poet: Julia Carlson

Julia Carlson

Julia Carlson received her BA (Philosophy) and MA (Social Work ) from Boston University, and a Diploma in Linguistics (Universite de Toulouse-Mirail, France). She is author of two chapbooks, Turn of the Century (Cloudkeeper Press, 2008 ) and Drift (March Hare Press, 2012). Her recent collection, Prayer for the Misbegotten was published by Oddball Press in 2017; her next collection will be out in 2019. Her poems have been published in Lyrical Somerville, Wilderness House Literary Review, Bagel Bards Anthologies (& was Editor of #5), and Muddy River Poetry Review. She is the recipient of a Davis-Kidd Poetry Award and the 2017 Poetrykit Summer Competition (UK). She makes her home in Cambridge, MA, likes rock and roll, and a wee dram on a cold night.

MODERN FAMILY 

Mom just lost her job 

but no one knows that 

about that 

yet. 

Millennial son still lives at home 

not paying any rent 

strung out on dope 

but no one knows 

yet. 

Dad is screwing his new secretary 

but only he knows it 

He’ll be damned if  

the wife finds out.   

But she doesn’t know 

yet. 

Outside, rain falls steady and wet. 

Fourteen year old daughter’s 

new boyfriend is thirty 

but the parents don’t  

knows about him 

yet. 

Thank God for the radio 

blasting some unnamed punk tune 

Three bar refrain and heavy bass 

thumps as she dances in the kitchen. 

No one’s told her to  

turn it down. 

yet. 

Soon it will be time  

for dinner, Domino’s take-out. 

They’ll sit in front of the TV 

light up their cell phones 

stare at the blue-lit screens 

while they text and eat the pizza.  

Which hasn’t gotten cold 
yet.