"Ave Maria" by Frank O'Hara

Mothers of America
           let your kids go to the movies
get them out of the house so they won't
know what you're up to
it's true that fresh air is good for the body
          but what about the soul
that grows in darkness, embossed by
silvery images
and when you grow old as grow old you
must
          they won't hate you
they won't criticize you they won't know
          they'll be in some glamorous
            country
they first saw on a Saturday afternoon or
playing hookey
they may even be grateful to you
          for their first sexual experience
which only cost you a quarter
          and didn't upset the peaceful
            home
they will know where candy bars come
from
          and gratuitous bags of popcorn
as gratuitous as leaving the movie before
it's over
with a pleasant stranger whose apartment
is in the Heaven on
          Earth Bldg
near the Williamsburg Bridge
          oh mothers you will have made
              the little
                         tykes
so happy because if nobody does pick
them up in the movies
they won't know the difference
          and if somebody does it'll be
              sheer gravy
and they'll have been truly entertained
either way
instead of hanging around the yard
          or up in their room hating you
prematurely since you won't have done
anything horribly mean
               yet
except keeping them from life's darker joys
          it's unforgivable the latter
so don't blame me if you won't take this
advice
          and the family breaks up
and your children grow old and blind in
front of a TV set
          seeing
movies you wouldn't let them see when
they were young 

--Frank O'Hara

Note: column width limitations prevent me from showing what is probably the poet's preferred version with white space intact. To read the poem in that format, click here for "Ave Maria" at FrankOHara.org.