the inevitable decay of the universe

some old friends

from way back when

were playing at a bar

i wandered into

 

i listened to a song or two

partnered with a beer or two

then went to leave

when the band took a break

 

but one of them did a double take

and called my name

with the microphone

 

i wanted to be alone

but i stopped

and did the usual

embraces

 

familiarity in the l. a.

sea of faces

 

they were just three

at one time

they included me

 

their loud guitar

violent drums

and aggressive bass

 

silence was always erased

when they played their songs

 

it had been so long

but they asked me to come on stage

become a phage

and make this night different

then the ones before

 

i said i would

grabbed the mic stand

and asked them to play

“solitary man”

by neil diamond

 

without hesitation

they started in

loud and angry

became twins

 

and i screamed

into the phallic symbol

of self expression

 

claiming i would be what i am

a solitary man

conditional love

 

i heard applause

but i didn’t pause

i walked through the crowd

lost in their perceptual shroud

and found my way

back onto the dark streets of decay

 

and remembered that so few can see

that one day all will be

nothing

 

space will be unexcited photons

floating at the cold temperature of space

forever and maybe even a day

a place of outer darkness

but there will be no weeping

or gnashing of teeth

for nothing else will exist

 

but those cold unexcited photons floating

forever

 

***