Blue Gown
Blue gowns fill the gilded hall.
The band plays to the beat of the drums.
Steps march upon the smooth tiles.
Twenty or more or less.
This is the day.
The hour.
The minute.
Seconds feel like hours.
The speaker goes on.
Going and going.
Waiting to the second,
When you walk upon that stage.
You get handed a piece of paper.
A slip of salutations.
And receive a hand shake.
In a moment, you are upon the green air.
And the blue sky.
And the steel buildings.
You look at your friends.
Tyler, Sarah, Wendy, Gary, Barry, and Andy.
And yourself.
You crease upon your head.
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And release.
The hat soars upon the air.
Smoothly, the hat lands upon the concrete.
You did it!
You’ve won!
Soon, the family cars begin to arrive.
And the friends begin to leave.
Gary First,
Barry Second,
Wendy Third,
Sarah Fourth,
Thinking about the moments of joy.
Your eye-sockets shift to Tyler.
Tyler smiles at you.
That strange, strange, friend.
Andy is last.
“The day finally came…”
The good friend exclaims to me.
“We’ve grown old…”
At that moment, he walked away.
And he was gone.
And it was only me.
The hat falls to the ground.
The experience fades to memory…
