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Elizabeth Bishop - Filling Station

Oh, but it is dirty!
--this little filling station,
oil-soaked, oil-permeated
to a disturbing, over-all
black translucency.
Be careful with that match!

Father wears a dirty,
oil-soaked monkey suit
that cuts him under the arms, 
and several quick and saucy
and greasy sons assist him
(it's a family filling station),
all quite thoroughly dirty.

Do they live in the station?
It has a cement porch
behind the pumps, and on it
a set of crushed and grease-
impregnated wickerwork;
on the wicker sofa
a dirty dog, quite comfy.

Some comic books provide
the only note of color-
of certain color.  They lie
upon a big dim doily
draping a taboret
(part of the set), beside
a big hirsute begonia.

Why the extraneous plant?
Why the taboret?
Why, oh why, the doily?
(Embroidered in daisy stitch
with marguerites, I think,
and heavy with gray crochet.)

Somebody embroidered the doily.
Somebody waters the plant,
or oils it, maybe.  Somebody
arranges the rows of cans
so that they softly say:
ESSO--SO--SO--SO
to high-strung automobiles.
Somebody loves us all.

Added: on September 29th, 2008 at 9:38 AM | Viewed: 8638 times | Comments (1)


Filling Station - Comments and Information

Poet: Elizabeth Bishop
Poem: Filling Station

Poem of the Day on:
Jun 28 2004

Comment 1 of 1, added on September 29th, 2008 at 9:38 AM.

i love how the last line perfectly sums up the entire poem "somebody loves us all" she has realised that home can be anywhere you make it. even in an old, dirty family run filling station

mary from Ireland

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