There is our most popular arrangement—
You said it would be this or estrangement—
This basket here, my friend, should suit you nice,
And believe you me, that’s at the greatest price.
Here, let me help you get that right on down.
If you buy, you’ll be the talk of the town.
First, notice how the basket is centered,
Everything is properly labeled—gendered.
The centerpiece—that is wife and mother,
Made to know her place as cook and lover.
You bet, on to the very next section—
Basket comes complete with this selection—
A daughter, my friend, that all will marvel
Over, a beauty whose looks will travel.
Ooh, yes, that is right, I nearly forgot!
Glad you caught it before I overshot.
A male progeny, a son like father,
Otherwise, why would we even bother.
Tall, strong, real ruddy—a little muddy—
He’ll grow up to be your friend and buddy.
He’ll make you proud of your own parentage,
While carrying on your strong lineage.
You’ll show him that a man loves hot women—
Boys will be boys and girls are less human.
To make this deal better, let’s set the price,
We’ll make it irresistible and nice.
Together, with this special family deal—
Complete with a wife to cook your meal,
A strong son to masculinize your seed,
And a daughter to love till she can breed.
This comes at the most reasonable cost—
Where nurture not namesake is what is lost.
© 2026 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Online) - Published: January 23rd, 2026 08:27
- Comment from author about the poem: I’m published in an anthology featuring authors from across the Poconos, PA. All proceeds benefit the Pocono Liars Club — a collective of authors and editors dedicated to supporting and mentoring local writers. Available in paperback and Kindle, please consider purchasing one and supporting a great cause. https://a.co/d/58uxM69
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 15
- Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, Paul Bell
Online)
Comments7
Lovely written, my friend. Your poem addresses the roles of a mother, daughter, and son in a stereotypical family dynamic. It highlights the reductive view of women as homemakers and men as leaders, emphasizing the transactional nature of these relationships.
Friendship, thank you for such a thoughtful read. Indeed, the poem is meant to expose how rigid family scripts are marketed as virtue, and how much gets lost in the exchange. I’m really glad you engaged it on that level. Much appreciated, my friend, as always! 🎁🧠🧬🙏
Good write T. Dunno about Oedipus, but Popeye's married his.............. not now, Popeye! lol.
LOL! Yes....shhh Popeye, shhh! Oh, yes, you too Obi, you too! Oi be! I tell you. Incorrigible! LOL!
I love satire and this is a good one. Tristan you have encapsulated a salesman's approach in this poem of changing culture and what we now see as antiquated and unjust past values for the implication that we have evolved to better and more just values. So I would hope and time will tell. A wonderful and most creative write.
Soren, thank you…that means a great deal coming from you. The salesman’s voice was exactly the angle I wanted, because that’s how these “values” are so often passed along…polished, rehearsed, and sold as inevitable. I appreciate you naming both the satire and the hope embedded in it. Time really will tell. Grateful for your careful, generous read, my friend. 🎁🧠🧬🙏
You are most welcome my friend I truly appreciate and look forward to your work with anticipation.
Have you seen some of the women out there, metal bar eaters.
Some of the guys, father would turn in his grave as Brutus declares himself, Miss Brutus.
Daddy's must pray now that junior makes it through puberty without mentioning. Asexual, Bisexual, Pansexual, and the other 20 that go along with them.
Paul, thanks for reading it through, my friend. The salesman framing is really about how rigid roles are marketed as “normal” and inherited without consent. That tension is the engine of the piece. Again, much appreciated and I hope you have a great weekend. 🎁🧠🧬🙏
Interesting write, Tristan.
Thank you Jerry! Much appreciated, my friend!
My family was so dysfunctional but still kept that hamper pristine. A strange lede force, indeed. 🙏🏻🕊️
My friend, that’s such a sharp observation and I thank you for sharing. The pristine hamper amid dysfunction captures the exact mechanism the poem is interrogating…how image is protected at all cost...and, in the end, who does it not cost? Thank you for that thoughtful engagement! Much appreciated, Rik. 🎁🧠🧬🙏
Most welcome, friend. These are real life questions and struggles 🙏🏻🕊️
Controlled mockery evident here, Tristan – delivered with wit and humour.
Excoriating and thus enjoyable take down of the nuclear family. Your view, I gather, is that as a unit of socialization it’s basically stuffed; a view I share. You have my vote unreservedly.
Dave, this means a great deal. The controlled mockery was intentional…sharp enough to expose, measured enough to stay readable...or so I hoped. I’m glad the takedown felt earned rather than gratuitous, and I appreciate you meeting it with both clarity and conviction, as always. And yes, your thought would be correct. Grateful for your vote, my friend. 🎁🧠🧬🙏
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