A Moment of Gratitude After a Moment of Terror
The night before Thanksgiving we’re all crammed
inside Caffe Aroma moved beyond tears
because Alexis is singing “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star
Ramesh buys a $20 bottle of La Fin du Monde
and we start passing it around like it’s the Blood of Christ
remember that every apostle started off as an amateur
we’re all a little on edge
more so than usual
because earlier in the day
there were rumors of an attack on Rainbow Bridge
it wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth
Buffalo was built on a feeling of impending doom
we’re just thankful
there always seems to be a guitarist around
when we need music the most
a tribe of one-hit wonders swaying from side to side
singing along out of tune and when the concert ends
we hug one another in the cold and then slither back home
like snakes, bellies to the ground and close to our roots
after dinner a few hours later, my little nephew beats me at Connect 4
and when I go outside to mull it over, I notice there’s no yellow or red
or shine in the sky, just a sea of gray that shakes me to the core
but at least there’s the sound of laughter on the other side of the door
Justin Karcher (Twitter: @justin_karcher, Bluesky: justinkarcher.bsky.social) is a poet/playwright living in Buffalo, NY. Check out his website, https://www.justinkarcherauthor.com.