a grand gentleman
they are in a fury in this place
the customers and the staff
she turns to me and says,
well, he’s been in the bathroom
for almost an hour
some things take time, i tell her
people are piled up around the door
every minute or so someone keeps knocking
occupied, is all he says
the supervisor of the place
asks him if he needs help
no thank you, he says
still they wait
more and more staff and customers line up
they’re waiting for the man to come out of the toilet
they want to be a part of the great reveal
they want to be a part of the great reveal
i think i heard the toilet flush, a kid says
and anticipation abounds
she turns to me
it’s over an hour now, she says
one customer tells another customer
this is outrageous
as if there aren’t bombs in iraq and gaza
murder on the streets of missouri
hungry, illiterate kids in housing projects
a block or so down the street
as if the other bathroom isn’t ready for use
someone pounds on the door again
come on, he shouts
just a minute, the voice says from behind the door
it opens a crack and then it closes again
there is a residual sigh throughout the place
pervert, she turns and says to me
he has to be a pervert
the building stays captivated by this
for another fifteen minutes
as they keep knocking and knocking on the door
suddenly it opens and an old bald man
comes walking out into the fluorescent fanfare
as if nothing has happened
everyone in the place stares at him
like he’s a deranged celebrity
he puts his hands in his pockets
and smiles at the angry hoi polloi
like a grand gentleman on his way to the opera
when he leaves the building
the pack of them descend on the small space
looking for traces of degradation
they look for piss in the toilet
sniff the air for traces of his shit
they check the floor for blood or semen
only they find nothing
and another whole hour in all of our lives
has been gambled on the hope
of something different in this life
what a waste of time, she says to me
before going back to her video of a two-headed dolphin
as the supervisor puts the bathroom key
back in its place
and the rest of the people in here
go back to searching
for a new and improved meaning of life.
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