SUNDAY DINNER
CLEANING DAY
SITTING DOWN
WHEN TO OUR DISMAY
WHILE LIGHTING
THE CANDLES
THERE CAME SUCH
A POOF
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
NEAR THE FAR ROOFS
IT SOUNDED LIKE POPPING
OR MAYBE LIKE CRACKLING
REGARDLESS OF ALL
SOMETHING WAS LACKING,
WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER
AND SAID “WHAT WAS THAT”,
WHILE SUDDENLY NOTING
THE DARKNESS WAS
FLOATING
INTO THE ROOM,
AND THEN THE GLOOM
PREVAILED,
THE DEVIL WAS
SMILING
AND VERY BEGUILING
PULLING THE PLUG
AND SLIDING THE RUG
FROM UNDER OUR TOES,
WE SHOOK OUR HEADS,
WHILE NIBBLING
QUIETLY
FROM OUR SUPPER
PLATES,
THERE WASN’T A
REASON
FOR US TO WAIT,
I SENT HIM DOWN
STAIRS
TO FETCH
THE BIG LANTERN
HE HAD SCOFFED AT
ME FOR GIVING ONE DAY,
BUT NOW WOULD
BE PERFECT
FOR FINDING HIS
WAY,
IT APPEARED WE
WERE SUNK
IN A DIM
TIMELESS FUNK
WHILE THE TRUCKS
MADE THEIR
WAY UP THE HILL,
THEY RUMBLED
ON PAST
IN A QUIET
WAY,
SOLEMN
AND KNOWING
THEY WERE IN
FOR A STAY,

WHILE THE STARS
CAME OUT
AND TWINKLED AWAY,
“NO POLDARK TONITE”
HE SAID RATHER SADLY
WE BOTH HAD INCLUDED
THE PBS DREAM,
BUT SOMEHOW IT WASN’T
MEANT FOR THIS SCHEME,
SO I TOOK A BATH
AND HE TOOK A WALK
SNEAKING UP DARK STREETS
AND NOTING
THE TALK,
BUT BATTERIES
WORK
AND CANDLES
WILL LIGHT
AND MAYBE
WE’LL SURVIVE
THE REST OF
THE NIGHT,
EACH IN OUR
OWN LITTLE BED,
DREAMING OF
SUGAR PLUMS
THAT DANCE
IN OUR HEADS,
FOR SURELY
THIS DARKNESS
IS SOME KIND
OF SIGN,
A WAY TO BE
STRONG
AND SURELY
BELONG TO
A BRAVE NEW
STORY
A PART OF
OUR FAIRY TALE
AND STEAFAST
IN GLORY,
I WRITE THIS
LAST PART
FROM A PLACE
IN MY HEART
HAVING SURVIVED
BEING ALIVE
READY TO VIEW
A SHOWTIME REDUX,
WE DID MAKE
IT THROUGH…
HOW ABOUT YOU?

©JW WINSLOW 12/1/18