Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Bad Behavior in a Mexican Restaurant (Poem)

Bad Behavior in a Mexican Restaurant

The day your umbrella sailed
the length of the room, I walked,
counting. So many blocks back
to the hotel, the lower East Side
disappearing, finally, Midtown
coming into view. You cheated
and took the subway, beating me
there. I knew you would. Later,
you changed cars, to get closer.
Three and a half hours by train
and still I couldn't look at you.

© 2014 Maureen E. Doallas


4 comments:

Peggy Rosenthal said...

The title and first line have a comic touch, but oh, how things change fast. The end-line words "cheated" then "beating me" are chilling.
This fine poem makes me wonder: does creating art out of a terrible experience reduce the terror? Somehow shape the experience so that it can be held at a slight distance from your psyche?

Linda Rosen said...

Peggy said it so well. The comedic side suddenly changed and made me crawl into myself with fear. So much said in so few words - magnificent

Britton Swingler said...

Masterfully chilling Maureen.

Anonymous said...

umbrella throwing,
that is bad behavior.