exceptional proles

so we're walking down the road to the supermarket and LJ says someone at work asked if that was her sheet music on the desk and when she said it was they expressed great amazement as if playing piano was miraculous

especially her

because she's not a career girl
or management
or middle class

so we talk about being working class and making things
making music and art
'we're exceptional', says LJ
'no!'
'we are. how many people like us do you know?'
'true'

so you see, proles don't make art...not many...I know, I know,,,,
I've spent my whole working life amongst them and not met one who made anything except music
& that was in a Punk band called The Sore Willies. I'm not joking

proles have got to stay as they are
watching telly all the time
reading tabloid newspapers
going to the pub, the shops, the pictures...
...not poncy Art galleries...

stereotypes?

you grow up being told to get a proper job & that's probably good advice but you only get a mediocre job with mediocre pay if you're lucky otherwise you get an even shittier job that only pays for rent and food & running the car but that's all the mediocre job does in the end except you also get a holiday & if you're oh-so-lucky your very own pile of bricks in which you sit watching telly & watching the kids who you might encourage to do better than you & go to university where they can learn clever things & get a better paid job than you so they can lead better paid & slightly more interesting lives but only slightly & they might read more interesting books & one days have a kid who enjoys Art & even dreams of making some although all that studying for her career than getting the big job doesn't leave any time for Art...

here's a poem