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….”


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