MICHAEL DENNIS MOONEY -- new writings

by tom nowak

the first thanksgiving dinner
i had as a club friend
was held at uncle vinny's house
i brought wendy
and a lot of weed
i was sitting with the guys
shooting the shit while
we were listening to some
tapes of country music
uncle vinny had made
the ladies were flitting about
in the kitchen
fussing with the dinner
and staying out of the way
occasionally a cackle or a laugh
would rise from the kitchen

now one must understand
the biker and biker-lady
roles
the married old ladies
were denied certain basic
forms of intimacy with their husbands
they were stressed beyond belief at times
to do impossible things
no show of affection
was ever allowed
in public between males and their mates
sweeties and sometimes girlfriends
were allowed to act differently
they could show and receive affection
according to situations

the major premise of not showing affection
in public
was to keep the object of affection
protected from dastardly deeds

outside club or even inside club forces
could use his affections
to get to a member

one might see this aloofness
as a buffer to keep
a person's friends from
being hurt, thereby causing
physical or emotional harm
to be inflicted
on a member

once a friend of mine
a club member
who was untouchable
to any pain or any feelings
of discomfort
similar to an ancient samurai
found his only close friend
a friend from childhood i might add
dead from an overdose
of heroin
he was found on the biker's front steps
strange thing was
the dead guy didn't do heroin

so back to the story
the meal was completely cooked and ready
vinny's old lady said dinner is served
one guy incurred the berating
of the others, he went to fill his plate
the rest of the group sat and
waited to be served

orders were barked at the women
this was a macho scene and face had to be saved
wendy was unsure of what to do
a friend of ours, a woman we have
known since day one, came to wendy's aid
come on hun, let's get his food she said and
she took wendy away and they returned
with a plate for me
it was heaped with all the stuff i love
mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans
and turkey, plus dessert, pumpkin pie and whipped cream
i was in seventh heaven
the other old ladies brought plates to their respective mates
and then retired to the kitchen
they were summoned occasionally to fetch salt or pepper
out of the blue the members got a call

and all had to leave
i was left alone with all the women
i found it amusing
i heard the chatter going on in the kitchen
one of the old ladies was sitting, still eating
in the room with wendy and me
i said to her
elaine that was pretty nice of you
to serve the guys food like that
she laughed hysterically

the other wives came to see what the humor was
elaine said to the assembled group of
women that i thought it was cool to see the wives
getting stuff for their husbands
to eat
they all laughed
i wasn't sure what the joke was
yet

elaine said, well i'll confess
i did it
but i never want to
because i get no thanks
for anything
so to kind of even the score
--because at this time no one would dare say anything
was wrong
that is, no one would say in public
what was going on
and lose face --

i don't understand, i say

--well she said
we pile their plates with
everything they hate
and they have to eat it!
or look bad
i laughed like hell
payback certainly is a bitch
and her name is elaine