WHY BECKETT

With an excited voice
Dave, one of my directors
who is also a painter,
is about to speak
and do a shout out
for the Original Theater
with one of his rave posters
is here about
to advertise my plays
for the coming week,
with all the fierce tension
of an adolescent wise guy
he will always leak
his slightly smile
and flies like superman
by the stage hallway
to hand out fliers
on the classy aisle
with bright detachment
of his simile's language
he opines to know by heart
all the thespian parts,
and mainly corrects
the actors if they forget
their selected lines
yet does not target anyone
with a companion of arrows
or tease anyone with his darts,
now(on the q.t)the French critic
has told Dave quietly tonight
he believes
and reveals that bz and Beckett
have quite a connection too
as they both know how
to be arbitrary
and gore the ox on occasion
or be literary sly as a fox;
the critic has on this occasion
is bearded with great insight
seated in a special box
for tonight's performance
who has just returned from Paris,
for this special occasion
Dave hangs onto
one of the first aisle seats
as the first act is about to begin
and speaks to him,
when hidden jazz music beats
are heard from backstage
for the waiting audience
with introductory remarks
from the critic's kindly
discerned word,
as stage lights break to dim
with so many sparks of ennui
flamed in marked applause
but not to embarrass him
or any of the aged company
but to burn like a Godot image
again and again,
the critic somehow knows
"that bz has a close connection
to Samuel Beckett,"
yet his learned remark
with subjective introspection
has remained with me
in a sonority of skillful years
by his tongue's persuasion
through many tall barriers
of young bold sobriety
and older poverty
resonant in a writer's residence
throughout the highways
of our far country,
finding equality and humanity
in those theatrical inspections
and responses
disclosing the skill of my stars
when integrity sponsors
my love, will and mind
and informs me
of many fearfully aligned
or subtle aspects of nuance
we can discover by chance
from a play's second inspection
in recovery of another
new clever scene or set
bz will not turn away
nor will he ever forget the critic's
just sentiments of my debt
to Beckett
even when heavy curtains
must fall
I will open the sunny blinds
to witness an opening
that shines a thrill on all.