9 waiting eternally

he hovers patiently--sword at the ready
off stage--waiting for his cue

it never comes

the lines are all wrong--no laughter echoes
in the aisles
the costumes are strange--bright brilliant colors lacking
on the racks--and his cue

it never comes

the backdrop doesn't fit--seascapes should coat
the curtains
the scenery changes--night in and night out
on stage--and his cue

in never comes

he hovers patiently--whispering his lines
in his head--waiting for his cue

tonight's the night

deep in his bones he can tell--though
the faces are different
the costumes seem a tad unfamiliar
the backdrop feels a bit off
but the lines
they definitely are a perfect fit

tonight's the night

he hovers patiently--his sword at the ready
off stage--waiting for his cue

tonight's the night

he takes two steps--his sword at the ready
impatience finally having set in--his feet fall out
beneath him--crashing into memories
pools of red--curtains fall like blood dripping
from him--he whispers his lines
into the air--they fade like his last breath
waiting for his cue

it never comes

he hovers patiently--sword at the ready
off stage--waiting for his cue

---

"The Show Must Go On"
(Photo by Jacob Lucas)

i felt compelled upon viewing this week's One Stop Poetry's One Shoot Sunday [interview with Jacob Lucas] to zoom in on the trees on the backdrop.  while zoomed in, i thought to take look around.  i made my way across the top and down the right side--that's when he jumped out at me--for but a split second he stood there sword in hand--he faded quickly back into the wall, but remnants of him lingered in the corrosion staining the wall.  so i chose to write his endless wait...