Everything is Ephemeral
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 ephemeral 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
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