Turkey

I am 25 married
With three sons
And a wife far more
Sophisticated and
Polished than myself,
I have an MA and working
On my PhD in history.
We are sitting at my
Families’ dining room
Table at Thanksgiving
With my parents, sibs
And a prominent San
Antonio artist and her
Boy toy while our house
Keeper Essie plays cook
And carries in the turkey
Tripping, the turkey flies
Across the room bounces
Twice landing by the
Other door to the room.
My mother asks Essie to
Take out the fallen bird
And bring in the OTHER
Turkey to which Essie
Replies there is no other
Turkey as my mother takes
The bird and Essie into the
Kitchen to find the non
Existent second turkey.
Meanwhile I ask the artist’s
Boy toy what he does for a
Living to which he replies he
Has changed his college degree
Plan for the fourth time and is
Taking a course or two, he is
In his early 30s, the female artist
Is in her 50s and staring at me.
I ask him if he is sure his present
Area of study will lead to a degree.
He replies that he is not hung up
On the completion thing as my
Mother comes back with a turkey
Alarmed at her friend the artist’s
Glare at me which causes my wife
To lose her suave demeanor and
Laugh uncontrollably along with
My sibs after which we dig into
Thanksgiving followed by several
Desserts and all is forgiven
All around and Essie reluctantly
Agrees to have dessert with us
During which she confides to
The table that there was no
Second turkey but the
Turkey cleaned up
Pretty good at
Which point
We all peek
At the boy
Toy and
The table erupts
Into gales of laughter
That even the artist joins.