Friday, April 29, 2016

Friday Evening Before the Reception at the Downstairs Ballroom

My bad nerves
go jingle-jangle-jingle

crossing the rain-dark 
patio to the 
door

so much brokenesss 
in my head and heart

sliding crashing
tinkling 
with each step

so it’s just as well 
I’m coming in
to work 

The strangers I’ll meet 
will have no idea
this face is not 
my own

The questions they’ll ask
will be nothing 
to do 
with me

I arrive early
rehearse my lines
get into character

It’s such a blessing to be
someone other than me
if only for a few
hours

“Hello, I’m the facilities manager….”


___________________________________________________________________
From the forthcoming collection Nymphomagic Electroshock and Other Middle-Aged Complaints.
Copyright © 2008, 2017 by Lawrence Roy Aiken.

No comments:

Post a Comment