Second Coming No. 112 — May 11, 2025
A poem-a-day protest against the threat posed to our democracy by the current occupant of the White House
Rhonda Melanson
Gloria Stivic Chats With Her Ex in 2025
Well, Michael, you could say we are back
at 704 Hauser Street right about now.
Ma in her apron, Daddy with his cigar, you and me
waking up sexy, godless, dreaming. Our little corner
of Flushing, a microcosm, a simmer pot becoming
its own explosion in the name of meaningful change.
Back in the day, we slaved. Dug profound holes, buried
and stomped on the stuffed world order. Planted
in its place every kind of wildflower, as many as goodness
would permit. A half century later, they are weeds. Yanked
with their roots. Suffocated from lack of water. Burned
as clutter in a world of sanctioned books, races, genders,
music. Collected, then ceremoniously deposited into annexed
back forty. Daddy, God rest his soul, would not recognize
what his party, what this country has become.
I’m glad he didn’t live to see this. He loved his America—
his racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, capitalist
America—and this would have killed him.
I’m tired of this shit too, Michael. Too exhausted to start a garden.
If I could, it would be vegetables. All colors, plenty with roots.
I would plant enough to sustain at least my part of the universe.
Buy American, we could yell from our side of the market stalls!
Eat plenty and compost the rest.
New soil for fresh tracks.
Editor’s Note: For those who don’t know their ancient television history, Gloria Stivic is a character from the trailblazing 1970s sitcom All in the Family. Gloria was played by Sally Struthers (b.1947). Her husband Michael Stivic was played by Rob Reiner (b.1947). Gloria’s father, Archie Bunker, was played by Carroll O’Connor (1924–2001). Her mother, Edith Bunker, was played by Jean Stapleton (1923–2013). A central element of the show’s humor was the endless clash between Archie’s “Greatest Generation” conservatism and the Baby Boomer hippie ethos of Mike and Gloria.
Rhonda Melanson is the author of the chapbooks Gracenotes (Beret Days Press, 2011) and My Name is Mary (Alien Buddha Press, 2022). Her poems have appeared in World City Lit, The Wild Word, Juniper Poetry, Medmic, Silver Birch Press, and other journals, as well as in the anthology Lost at 27: Musicians, Artists, Mortals (Cicada Song Press, 2024), edited by Mona Mehas. A graduate of Queen’s University Artist In The Community Education Program, Melanson lives in Ontario and co-edits the literary blog Uproar.
Indolent Books and editor Michael Broder are back with another poem-a-day series as a creative response to the threat posed to our democracy by the current occupant of the White House. The plan is to continue for all 1460 days of the 47th American presidency.
Find out how to submit poems or flash prose pieces to Second Coming.
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