another variation of The Story

Another Variation of The Story as Seen from
The Scene of A Poetry Reading  




the man, after having a stroke
of genius, takes his seat 
among the crowd.  his wife
beside him attempts to cover
the length of his left arm
because it had freed itself and
acquired volition.  she made it
keep still.  like a child 
who obeys only with a look.  

at last, the man is called. 
his turn to read his work
because he's been around 
the circuit long enough, and
the young writers, still
trying out the ropes, wanted
someone distinguished.  he
begins by saying how,
these days,

he's much pushed around 
on his wheelchair.  how he has 
become so courteous 
he brings his own chair on invitations.
the crowd laughs, carefully,
at his own careful joke.  he continues
saying he is forty-three and
has had many firsts
he has forgotten. 

anyway, he says, the firsts
are not important.
i'd rather the second
being in itself an affirmation
of the first.  and he carries on
long after the first hour.
the crowd understands, 
claps at cues
to later turn polite.

the wife knows.
the man doesn't.
and his freed arm
slithers off from the cover.  
and without his knowing,
moves
shuddering, slithering
closer and closer 
to the closest woman still. 




C. Carreon