Filling Station

By Elizabeth Bishop

1
Oh, but it is dirty!
 
2
--this little filling station,
 
3
oil-soaked, oil-permeated
 
4
to a disturbing, over-all
 
5
black translucency.
 
6
Be careful with that match!
 
 
 
7
Father wears a dirty,
 
8
oil-soaked monkey suit
 
9
that cuts him under the arms,
 
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and several quick and saucy
 
11
and greasy sons assist him
 
12
(it's a family filling station),
 
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all quite thoroughly dirty.
 
 
 
14
Do they live in the station?
 
15
It has a cement porch
 
16
behind the pumps, and on it
 
17
a set of crushed and grease-
 
18
impregnated wickerwork;
 
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on the wicker sofa
 
20
a dirty dog, quite comfy.
 
 
 
21
Some comic books provide
 
22
the only note of color--
 
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of certain color. They lie
 
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upon a big dim doily
 
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draping a taboret
 
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(part of the set), beside
 
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a big hirsute begonia.
 
 
 
28
Why the extraneous plant?
 
29
Why the taboret?
 
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Why, oh why, the doily?
 
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(Embroidered in daisy stitch
 
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with marguerites, I think,
 
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and heavy with gray crochet.)
 
 
 
34
Somebody embroidered the doily.
 
35
Somebody waters the plant,
 
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or oils it, maybe. Somebody
 
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arranges the rows of cans
 
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so that they softly say:
 
39
ESSO--SO--SO--SO
 
 
 
40
to high-strung automobiles.
 
41
Somebody loves us all.

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This text contains the following words.

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  2. a
  3. all
  4. and
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  6. arranges
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  35. draping
  36. embroidered
  37. esso--so--so--so
  38. extraneous
  39. family
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  43. grease-
  44. greasy
  45. has
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  48. him
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  61. match
  62. maybe
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  64. note
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  68. oil-soaked
  69. oils
  70. on
  71. only
  72. or
  73. over-all
  74. part
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  76. porch
  77. provide
  78. pumps
  79. quick
  80. quite
  81. rows
  82. saucy
  83. say
  84. set
  85. several
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  88. softly
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  91. sons
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  103. under
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  106. waters
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  111. with