I Needed to Wait in the Hall

I needed to wait in the hall I needed to wait in the hall a long time and not be welcomed To see your books on common shelves to be shared Books inscribed to you Some books I gave you last Christmas And to hear worried phrases and roaring grunts from voices not quite yours

I needed to wait long enough to be sure that if that door were to open there might not still be an easy chair (or two) A joyful if unsteady greeting And a dresser with drawers that smelled the same as when I played movie star with the earrings they held

I needed to wait long enough to know that that door would not open to start a long slow walk downstairs for salt-free shrimp scampi and chocolate ice cream and stories repeated louder and louder each time

I needed to wait To wait a long time Long enough to be sure that my reason to be there was gone

© 2013 Kim Buck