The Elevator

The Elevator

The elevator door
With awful finality
Shuts me on one side
You on the other
And takes you away
Despair, yes and
Panic in our eyes

Sharp on the nerves
Like broken glass
Scraping
On blackboard slates
Like harsh light
Too soon after
Dreams

Frightful
Like a child
Fallen out of
The family
That is to say
The familiar

Jelly glasses
Sick undone
My tummy
Oh not like mommy
There’s no place
Raggy blanky
Be it ever so

Be at so ivory
But long gone, long gone

Still we run home
Through rainy dark streets


Betsy McKenzie
7/10/2007