At The Film Festival
for Leslie Vanderpool

i. Lesli

too pretty to look at
like too-bright light
two bright lights when we meet

the sun and the moon,
the moon on the sea,
a song on a page

darkened theatre, in the end, lit

you see who you share it with,
shared what you saw with

the faces familiar, the friendliness,
who to smile and to wave at

like Junkanoo morning
when the sun comes up

across the street, here and there
and round about

faces and people you know and love
like you do Junkano

no idea they were there,
all Boxing Day morning
until sun up

lights up in the theatre
people familiar to me to greet

one sweetens life with a smile
like honey out poured
in my coffee, in my tea,
over waffles, in my Ovaltine

what sweet music, the buzzing of bees,
what hairy bellies

ii. Stolen Youth

pour all the liquor down the drain
who needs it
in the blood
in the blood stream

iii. Diane

so pretty
it’s almost painful to me,
almost painful to see

she wears sunshades
bright bright December day
in front of the theatre
awaiting shuttle to P.I.

a mystery why her breasts
are as big as they are,
as full as they are

asked her to remove her shades
to see who she is, to see really

wanted to observe as much as I could
wanted to see, to investigate

to see and feel, to taste and see

I’ll have to rely upon poetry to see more
back through the years she’s lived

see-through shower curtains
see-through things
we wear to bed


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2008
Written on 11.12.08 between
12:25 p.m. and 3:44 p.m.