bluegatereview

after a long day he listens
to opera –
the wails of compressed lips and throats
expressing the essence of the deepest dreams:
passion, power
heroes taking command, heartbroken ladies
busomy mothers, wise men
cruel rulers and hideous monsters
Good
and Evil

tomorrow, Morse will make an arrest
the killer, the sadness
something led up to the deed
human fuzziness obscures the answer:
Good-ish
Evil-ish

but tonight, opera
crystal clear relief
the overweight middle-aged man with triple chins
sings the young hero’s part
take part in the game, accept his handsomeness
before he dies, he will sing louder than ever
– an answer, of sorts

1990s