the reading

it wasn't loud enough.
the near window didn't shake with envy or fatigue
because the vibrations weren't strong when
they should have been thunderous,
but slipped rather like a soft mouse around a corner
in an undertone of nervousness;
or like a quiet frog eyeballs fixed atop his water lily pad beneath the
purple blooming Hosta along the shoreline.
the public reading was sublime, marvelously so for an hour
and it was very good as each guest enthusiastically congratulated
the reader who,
with a glance in my direction, looked for approval.
it was a modest event, however, and i felt no need to walk into that trap,
so i held myself very straight, radiating neutrality.
even in certifiably intellectual surroundings, such as a bookshop or
a library, the voice should attack the words in earnest.
and it's even more imperative when there is weight to be throw around.