“Expatriate’s Pantoum.” A Poem by Maria Nazos
The poem 'Expatriate’s Pantoum' by Maria Nazos explores themes of escapism and regret through vivid imagery. It depicts a day in the life of expatriates indulging in drinks and evading responsibilities while reflecting on their choices. The narrative intertwines moments of levity with darker undertones, highlighting the complexities of their situation.
- ▪The poem features expatriates drinking pineapple juice spiked with Bacardi and evading their responsibilities.
- ▪It includes a character who interacts with a neighbor described as a 'weird Swiss guy' who dances frantically and throws machetes.
- ▪The narrator expresses feelings of regret and the desire to escape from their current life while still feeling tethered to their past.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Today, we’ll wake again and drink pineapple juice spiked with Bacardi, then curl up in a hammock. We’ll do another line, then you’ll play me more Bruce, then we’ll cash another unemployment check. We’ll spike our drinks with Bacardi, curl up in a hammock. Though it’s not cool to collect benefits from overseas, still, you’ll cash my last unemployment check, then we’ll email our worried lovers back home an apology. Though it’s not cool to collect benefits from overseas, you say, Baby, let’s die tan, but first, let’s live wet, so, we’ll email our worried lovers back home our apologies: today, we’re drunk, again, on rum and sober with regret. You say, Baby, let’s die tan. But first, live wet.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Literary Hub.
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