by Jeremy Wayne Couch
Walking down Main Street
on a Friday or Saturday night
I watch the teenagers cruising by
shouting obscenities to embarrass me
Succeeding only in making me laugh
I yell back, "Go home, children!
It's past your bedtime!"
I pause at the corner
letting the throbbing music
of the band in the second story apartment
beat all thought out of my mind
carrying me where it wants me to go
Walking down to the park at midnight
I dance among the trees
Alone
except for my imaginary audience
watching from the darkness
I alight on a swing and sing wild songs
while trying to fling myself out among the stars
Unsuccessful
I walk across town to the railroad tracks
screaming above the sirens of transient trains
Growing tired of this game
I turn homeward and without knowing why
shiver and quicken my footsteps
I feel unseen eyes marking my progress
Around every corner I turn, they are there
I can see them vaguely out the corners of my eyes
I flee into my house and lock the door
but there are demons hiding in every room
I cry out in despair
"What do you want? Where are you coming from?"
Moonlight glitters on something in the hall
Turning, I scream as I behold my advesary
revealed
as a reflection
in a mirror