As I lay on my bed
listening to the sounds
in the street below
I thought about the play
we had done :
a melodrama
faceless characters
exaggerated actions
magnified emotions.
Rose was in it
the persecuted heroine
more sinned against than most
and I was the manly hero.
Rose, I said, meet me
on the bridge at midnight!
And the words
of the deep-dyed villain
rang in my ears :
You shall pay dearly
for this night’s work!
I lay back and wondered,
What would it be like
to meet Rose at midnight
here in my room? and What
would I have to pay so dearly for?
As I stretched out, near sleep,
the giant garage door
of the Apex Hauling Company
across the street
emitted a long, rasping groan;
it creaked, broke into sections,
and lifted on its rollers to
let the trucks enter for the night.
– Bill Reynolds
