He wants to have his
midlife crisis in peace and quiet.
He has penciled it in his calendar
for at least five years now.
Something always comes up,
something that demands he
be in public, and he simply
will not have a crisis
in that setting, no matter what.
He’s sure he supposed to have one
although as time goes by
he isn’t sure what purpose
it would serve, it isn’t
that his life isn’t half over,
merely that he has what he wants
and the crisis is best used
as an excuse to get something
utterly unnecessary and useless,
and that, for him,
is so five years ago.
quiet
EARLY NIGHT AT THE CLUB
It begins lowly
quietly, then grows
builds
until, all players
together, it hits
a point where
you hope it is
a crescendo,
but it still grows
ever louder
and you retreat
from the club,
half-finished glass
of wine on the table,
knowing that
when you reach
the back door
your evening is over.