Genes of the Bourgeois Woman--By Isha Wagner--New Zealand

Genes of the Bourgeois Woman

I do battle with them daily
They are in my way constantly
These bourgeois genes
Their voices grind into my ears
Dust the furniture : make the bed
Vacuum the carpet : bake cakes
Here comes Aunt Brenda
who every day wipes the window sills
and venetians : here comes Aunt Mildred
who preserves and fills bottles
with fruit. And Uncle Fred with his secateurs
Uncle Arthur with his mower

I let out a scream, shout for them to go
Back to the cemetery
And leave me alone to my writing
And my solitude
but no these restless genes have their way
As I smooth the cover on the bed
then mop the floors

Isha Wagner is a New Zealand poet. She has resided in many countries including Iceland, Libya, India, and Australia.  She read some of her work at the VIII International Poetry Festival held in Granada, Nicaragua, in February 2012. She has had three collections of poetry published.