Twice Told
Norma
Ron
Raye
Bill
Bill
Paul
Rachel
Pamela
Amy
Larry
Walter Arlington
A slow walk along a busy street
People hanging out
Shouldering a pack sticking to my back
Humid sunset
Settling in
Dark espresso grit in my mouth
Words sung with guitar
A warm-up to the readings
Words written
Waiting
Soon words will be spoken
Add my name to the list
The only one not known to the other readers
They have their connections
Where will I fit in?
Reading into the mike
Distant from myself
Reading my words
Remembering my thoughts
Hearing them fresh
How do I sound?
The first poem
Long
Weaving back on itself
Seeing a bigger pattern than I knew was there
Always coming back to the breath
The first poem
Received with applause
The second poem
A risk
Revealing anger and hurt
Speaking in code
Speaking a common language
Greeted with silence
After the long poem
Was this one too short?
Were they expecting more?
Were they lost in the thought?
A hard poem to applaud
The third poem
More a head trip
Safer
Talking about walls
Bounded
Unthreatening
A known quantity
Still
Ending in silence
I have a special place for
Two Poems for Jim
Resting in my heart
One breath
At the balance point
Strong words
Softly read
A big stick of dynamite
Exploding in the mind
Walter (Reed) Arlington (Cemetery) ended the evening
Jittering on stage
Filled with his words
Acknowledging my words
Walking together out into the night
As our separate ways carried us along the same path
Ending at the Dairy Mart
Phone numbers exchanged
Will he call?
Will I call?
Good night
-- Larry Wolf (1996)
[Posted 2025]