two weeks ago a man died
and
i got waylaid in an airport
lost
it in the taxi zone, kicking
up
dirt
the
plane’s in-flight magazine had just published
an
interview
we’re both still alive
- against all odds. i sobbed during
takeoff
again
in another airport over glasses of wine
because
i was homesick and maybe because
i
bled just a little
tonight
i browse the television
and
they are remembering his life
in
one clip he muses on the loneliness of dining
sleeping,
in a beautiful villa alone
the lack of another fork, plate
all
for show
the
connection made months later
through
an upturned glass
in
a room at the best western i am drinking to avoid
not
smoking. i am flipping channels
to
fill the space, to forget i am lonely
every
night i am lonely
i
leave, walk to escape but everything
is
closed
because
this is fredericton
sunday
night
the
road ends where something new is being built
no
gates to keep a wanderer out, no alarm
frames
let in the night
and
i walk through walls
up
stairs without banisters
on
the second floor there is wonder
in
the way the roof beams slice the street light
grit
in unfinished wood, workboot footprints
under
my soft-sole shuffle
in
this not-yet-home `
i
think, my time
is
too short to be lonely
in
the night everything seems
finite
and possible
i
have this
it’s
always the days and days
what
is going home but another blind date
another
chore
another
night out on the town
what
is a hotel but a beautiful kennel
what
is lonely but beautiful
the
mind but an echo chamber
a
poem a candid confession
two
weeks ago a man died and i got waylaid in an airport
when
i landed i ran out into the night
nina jane drystek is a poet, writer and performer based in Ottawa. her poetry
has appeared in Canthius, talking about strawberries, the DUSIE: Tuesday poem, Bywords, in/words, ottawater, small talk and Window Cat Press, as well as in self-published chapbooks,
and chapbooks and broadsides by & co. collective, of which she is a member.
she is a member of the sound poetry ensemble quatuour gualuour. if you have
ever lived in the same city as her you have likely seen her riding a red
bicycle around town.
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