Laughing at my Hubris

You left the party, where’d you go?

You said somebody followed you.

Somebody named Rex

Who was wearing a khaki suit,

A white T-shirt, white Vans skate shoes.  

Somebody you went to school with…

A Valedictorian…

He asked you to marry him.

You told him not until he straightened up

And flew right,

Which was a silly thing to tell him,

In my opinion.

What was he doing?

What wasn’t he doing?

I asked you to marry me

On the Ferris wheel at Coney Island…

You couldn’t stop laughing…

What was so funny…?

I never got an answer…

You just kept laughing…

I wasn’t joking.

You always laugh whenever

I’m being serious.

When I tell you a joke

You roll your eyes, tsk your tongue,

Drop your jaw and stare…

You got me

A Hawaiian shirt

And a fifty-dollar

Certificate from Circle K

For my fortieth birthday.

Then you fell asleep after I

Blew out the candles on my

Birthday cake.

(I later found out you bought a pound cake

And used the filling from Devil Dogs

As frosting.)

So I got drunk

On bullshots and drove to

Worcester, Mass.

Got a tattoo on my chest of a

Goddess riding a dragon,

Basically, had very little to eat

For the next day and a half.

When I called you

From that flooded payphone

Near the Centrum,

You were sorry, but you thought I had died…

When I got back in town,

You had enrolled at that community college,

But you wouldn’t tell me

What you were majoring in…

Four months later,

I received an invitation

To your wedding.

It said you and Rex

Were getting married.

Guess he had straightened up

And was flying right.

I was so stunned

I ignored the doorbell.

I started to call you, but

I couldn’t think of anything

To say to you.

Six months later

I read in the newspaper

That Rex had been investigated

By the S.E.C. and was going to jail

For doing funny things to other people’s money

And I knew you probably needed a friend.

When you answered the phone

You were drunk…

Drunk and alone,

Sitting in the dark,

Listening to Cat Stevens.

“You live and learn,” you said.

That was the only thing you said…

We stayed on the phone,

Not talking, just listening to Cat…

I fell asleep, still connected…

Reviews

[Philip Gaber]

Thank you, reddit. Appreciate your time and the review.

[redd Brick Keshner]

I remember days like those. But not good enough to feature in poem. But glad you did. 🕊️🙏🏻