Companion piece

Ah now I remember! This was a companion piece to the previous post. I had intended to write a whole epic about missed connections and lost chances. This was as far as I got.

Waiting Patiently for Something



The sunshine through the window
is sufficient light
she believes
She’s not into brightness this morning

A sip from her coffee cup
burns her lip
she curses as she sets the mug down
Steam rises out and dissipates

The stereo stands silent
a sentinel at arms
guarding the room
like the Royal Palace

She stands and paces the kitchen floor
remembering some dim conversation
with a stranger at a bar
It doesn’t mean a thing in the daylight

Exit the kitchen
she heads off toward the bedroom
and wonders
“Where’s my white knight?”

She’d mumbles out loud
“I’d even settle
for a black knight
with unburnished armor”

She steps into her small bathing room
kicks off her pink, fuzzy slippers
and starts the water running
Steam rises out and dissipates

Sitting on the porcelain edge
she recites the day’s agenda
“shower, dress, eat,
work, work, work.”
“Smell the roses
by the roadside
on the way home”
She sighs.

Turning off the valves
she recalls his name
It doesn’t matter though
in the light of day

She slips off her robe
and slowly melts into the tub,
sucking balmy air
through her teeth

With her eyes closed
she begins to hum some unrecorded tune
but falls silent
This is no time to sing

© 1988 B. Vincent Hernandez