Stay at Home

Bobby thought about the fix he was in.
If it was hell where he was, what’s heaven?
Anna came to the bungalow and talked.
She wanted him to learn a new language,
or the way she said it, English was fine
if you wanted to stay home all your life . . .

Paul wondered where Melindra was these days.
Bobby told him all about Christina.
Bobby was trying to work up the sand
to tell Melindra, who would then call him
the obligatory bastard, cad, worse . . .
and be gone from his life like night from day.

He took Melindra to dinner, she paid
as always, she loved to see him clad
in the dinner jacket the Viceroy supplied.
He told her about the quartet’s music,
the difficulty Sanchez was having
over the less than ordinary name

Sanchez y Compania. He wanted
to go on the road. Mexico City
was where his unruly heart had wandered.
To see the largest city on the earth.
To be heard by all its many people.
To play and sing. Will you take we with you?

It was a pipe dream, specialty of those
stay at homes of whom he was but one.
She invited him to stay the night. Her house
was too big for the small man he was now,
if man he be. I have a class tomorrow,
I'll be up all night with my story.

(11,18 April 2012)

copyright 2012 by Floyce Alexander