Abandoned Project (Morning Trial)

I.

in the darkness

enshrouding me

like a blanket

…

the light

of the television set

flickers…

flickers

…

on the edge

of consciousness…

…

The cat calls out

A gutteral

meow…

as I use

the ideas for stories

to slip

…

back into unconsciousness …

I try to remind myself

I have to work tomorrow…

 

II.

crawl over a pile of

clothes

enter the shower

the shower door won’t close

the water seems weak

 

I dress

purple shirt

purple tie

I think

not a bow tie this

morning

what might this say

about me

will anyone notice

 

a bowl of oatmeal

blackberries added

oh, the order

for the difficult judge

 

 

III.

a drive past

school zones

and trucks and cars

 

the cars crawl

over each other

the lanes are ruts

We are stuck

and frustration is

allowed to catch up

with me

 

I appear at

the juvenile court

but there are no

hearings

as I was told

the day before

 

I could stay

and exchange pleasantries

with the court staff

but I have another

hearing

which draws me away

 

I have the same

conversation,

the one in my head,

with my boss,

electronic words,

but then I wonder

if the meaning of

the typed-out words

is expressed

 

IV.

I wait

make an announcement

then am excused

 

What,

me worry?

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