Friday, July 4, 2014

my mask for the masquerade


went to a dinner party

all of jenny’s friends

 

(end of beginnings, beginning of ends)

 

they tried to talk to me

what could i say?

“i’m the author of the recently released

Dark Streets of Decay?”

especially when meal materialized

and they all bowed their heads to pray

everyone that is but me

and worse yet we all joined hands

jenny on my right

on my left a man

 

words were lifted

and drifted to the sheltering sky

everyone said, “amen”

while i tried not to sigh

 

the meal was good

i silently ate

listened to everyone pontificate

 

“if you’re not a registered republican

then you are a heretic

because you do not value

the things that are important to god”

 

i yearned, no burned, for sidewalks

under my soled feet

 

i could no longer compete

for the limited oxygen

and the dainty sips of wine

 

they nibbled their melon rinds

and i excused myself

ignoring disapproving expressions

as i exposed my pack of smokes

 

outside i lit up

unscrewed the top on my flask

and emptied it in one tilt

 

my blossoming began to wilt

when jenny joined me

 

i took a drag and whispered,

“i’m trying to be on my best behavior

but i can’t imagine i am their flavor”

 

she slipped her hand in mine

while saying,

“i’ll punish you when we get home

(i smiled)

just last a little longer”

 

rehydrated i grew stronger

and asked,

“are these the people

that will be at our wedding?”

 

jenny didn’t flinch or miss a beat,

“you in a church? we will have to go

to a justice of the peace…

one of these days”

 

“what’s wrong with tomorrow?”

i heard myself say

 

with her hand in mine

when she suddenly stopped

it jolted me to a standstill as well

 

she stared at me

turned us around

we walked away

 

“do you know where the nearest bar is?”

she asked

 

“have we not met?”

i said in retort

 

she laughed so hard i heard a snort

and hand in hand we did disband

from the party

for my last night

as a single man

 

***

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