in the good chair
sometimes, when the trick is on us, we misunderstand our situation


i sat there
in the living room
pretending to be dead
smiling to myself

i was in the good chair
the chair much favored
by the grandmother
the old woman herself

i sat there
waiting
to be discovered
resting contentedly

it would be hours
i supposed
before i was found
and that was ok

the night outside
kept spilling darkness
through the windows
into the house

the room itself was
filled with gloom
no light anywhere
between the corners

and i giggled
to think
of being discovered
giggled to imagine the surprise

darkness has more weight
than most might imagine
it presses down
pushing us flat

but i only lay there
having no thoughts
except the image
in my head

it would be years
before i discovered
realizing slowly
that i waited in vain

something had happened
maybe in the dark
or before i got there
and it changed everything

the darkness waited with me
holding me down
against the cushion
of the good chair

and i finally saw
that i was not pretending
i was not breathing
i was not waiting

i was simply there
in the good chair
lying still
forever

and even now
the darkness spills in
through open windows
unseen in gloom

filling the room



©2005 Jim Sutton
all rights reserved

originally published at
http://jimsdesk.goodwordusa.org
reproduced here by the author