J.J. Steinfeld – Ⅲ
Dreams and Exits
In the midst of a slow-moving theatrical event
near the end of a quickly passing year
a man in the third row,
close to the glowing side-Exit sign
stood and declaimed as if an actor on stage,
“I haven’t dreamed in ten years
to the day, to the minute, I emphasize,
but tonight I know I will dream
a dream that will last ten times ten years.”
A diffident usher was summoned
and pulled the man from his row
and toward the exit, polite but forceful.
A few moments later a woman in the eighth row
only two seats away from the row’s exact centre
stood and declaimed as if an actor on stage,
“I haven’t dreamed in twenty years
to the day, to the minute, I emphasize,
but tonight I will dream
a dream that will last twenty times twenty years.”
A second usher, lonely and staving off cynicism, was summoned
and gently helped the woman from her row
and toward the exit, falling in love, shedding cynicism.
I sat there and wanted to stand
to say something to the actors on stage
and the audience in the confused dark
but I had dreamed just last night
a dream of almost theatrical structure
and I did not want to break its transporting spell
besides, I should emphasize,
glowing Exit signs frighten me terribly.
In the midst of a slow-moving theatrical event
near the end of a quickly passing year
a man in the third row,
close to the glowing side-Exit sign
stood and declaimed as if an actor on stage,
“I haven’t dreamed in ten years
to the day, to the minute, I emphasize,
but tonight I know I will dream
a dream that will last ten times ten years.”
A diffident usher was summoned
and pulled the man from his row
and toward the exit, polite but forceful.
A few moments later a woman in the eighth row
only two seats away from the row’s exact centre
stood and declaimed as if an actor on stage,
“I haven’t dreamed in twenty years
to the day, to the minute, I emphasize,
but tonight I will dream
a dream that will last twenty times twenty years.”
A second usher, lonely and staving off cynicism, was summoned
and gently helped the woman from her row
and toward the exit, falling in love, shedding cynicism.
I sat there and wanted to stand
to say something to the actors on stage
and the audience in the confused dark
but I had dreamed just last night
a dream of almost theatrical structure
and I did not want to break its transporting spell
besides, I should emphasize,
glowing Exit signs frighten me terribly.