Now the Darkness
now
the darkness falling again
pulling the light from the sky
and
I reach for the bottle
on the table in front of me
and
it makes me think of
the dumb joke about
a frontal lobotomy
and
I laugh
in spite of myself
taking a long drink
before putting the bottle back down
leaning away from the table
and
balancing the chair on two legs
feeling like a kid again
hearing my father’s voice
coming from inside my own head
telling me to keep
all four legs on the floor
and
although he’s been dead
for more than twenty years
I still listen to what he says
easing the chair back down
reaching for the bottle again
and
raising it above my head
before taking another drink
Another Sunday Morning
and
I’m drinking my coffee
sitting at the kitchen table
thankful
I don’t have to go to work
and
I’m reminded
of another Sunday morning
not so long ago
with her sitting
next to me on the couch
reading the paper
both of us
still in our pajamas
and
she was wearing her glasses
and
her dark hair was
all disheveled from sleep
when she finished each section
she handed it to me
and
I can still recall
the sound of her laughter
when I leaned over
and
I told her
she had never looked
more beautiful
James Babbs has been writing for most of his life but he still manages to learn new things. He has written hundreds of poems and a few short stories and has even had a few of them published. James likes gazing up at the stars at night, alone, or even better, with someone special. James enjoys eating lima beans and brussels sprouts but he never did care for okra.
