Everything is Efemeral

i sit my legs curled under me bare feet cool on a barely-lit stage light pools splash across my back spilling onto the empty chairs cross-legged on the apron of the bare bones stage peering out into the crowdless space suddenly i begin to see them take shape the subtext of their existence playing out across my heart as they search for the perfect seat and wait for the story to unfold the elderly couple walk down the aisle hand in hand they select a seat in the front row so she will be able to hear and see everything more clearly her eyes light up as the song and dance commence he lightly reaches for her hand hoping to take part in her adventure the mom and dad file into the fifth row just left of center mom hides her camera from the usher while dad sits wishing he were golfing their little angel floats across the stage suddenly both come to life exchanging prideful smiles of a shared success the college freshman saunters in remembering to remove his ballcap and turn off his phone he chooses a seat near the wall in the back as the curtain rises for Act II he leans his head back, closes his eyes, and falls asleep she walks in dressed in her theatre best and chooses a seat towards the front as she waits for the play to begin she glances longingly at the seat to her left her husband would always sit to her left and take her to a late dinner after the show the characters come out onto the stage as her tears silently fall onto the program in her lap a society man ushers the tall blonde to his reserved seats in the third row he shakes the hand of the playhouse owner and introduces his fair maiden they then sit and chatter lightly waiting for the play to begin smiling warmly at each other when the lights dim each knowing the relationship is as efemeral as the show they are about to see he walks in with his head down as people stare menacingly at his mohawk and chains he slides into the aisle seat towards the back wondering why he came she steps out onto the stage and begins to sing mesmerized, he is transfixed on her beauty and is sure she is singing only to him she walks in with a book in her hand stopping at the door and scanning the room she notices the boy with the mohawk sitting near the back she quietly slips into the seat across the aisle and opens her book watching him watching her becomes too unbearable and she quietly slips out the door the two girls walk in talking loudly to each other as they make their way to the front sitting near the wall in the front row they giggle and tease tossing their hair and scanning the room as they pretend to listen to one another they stand and scream and hug their friends as they arrive hoping to get their fifteen minutes before the actors take the stage the old man takes his seat in the third row near the wall on the left he sits quietly reading the program, adjusting his spectacles as he scans the pages he is reminded of a painting he has hanging in his parlor above the mantel the lights dim as he sets down the program and awaits the magic on stage he is home my thoughts are interrupted by footsteps behind me "it's time to go", he says "it's quite late." as we turn out the lights and begin to walk out, i look back and see them sitting, waiting for someone to carry them to a place they would rather be