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and I wanna be
and I wanna be
and I wanna be
—From “I’m on the Outside (Looking In),” Little Anthony & the Imperials
PBS knows how to open a checkbook:
A little Under the Boardwalk, the pen pops out,
Up on the Roof, the decimal point slides over a notch.
And Smokey—play a little Smokey
I’m doing a slow motion grope
and the chaperones are getting nervous.
But that’s when they make their mistake
and take the pocketbook break,
soft shoe it to hosts Leslie & Tom,
a chubby aging bald guy and silver-haired matron
wearing a string of pearls and a cheerleader smile
intimating reverie has its price
and it’s time you pay.
The phones ring and the dollar board turns,
stadium-perched volunteers in khaki slacks
sporting neatly trimmed beards
pick up and jot down—
“Just a few more callers,” Leslie coaxes.
“Boy, doesn’t this bring back the memories?” Tom responds.
“Those were the days,” Leslie concludes.
I’m getting impatient, the mood is fading.
I think I see Leslie’s fingertips touch the back of Tom’s hand
as she says, “Can’t wait for Little Anthony, coming up next.”
Tom quivers a shy, flirtatious smile,
slides the blessed hand into the safety of his pocket
and I’m gone—back on the inside once again.
From The Sacred Monotony of Breath (Prolific Press, 2015).
Used here with the author’s permission.
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