The Woman

By Bob MacKenzie

it begins with a room

pale red and cool blue light

scattered silhouettes at tables

soft saxotones wafting

through cigarette smoke

and casual conversation

at the bar a splash of light

seems meant to expose

the woman who waits

slowly sips her drink

waits for something

waits for someone

waits deep in a shadow

no light can erase

sorrow bends the woman

leans her forward

slumped with elbows

abject on the bar

slow sipping her drink

on the woman’s right cheek

a tear draws a damp line

downward echoed by sax

lines cutting the smoke

underlining her blue mood

another tear slides

another tear and another

the woman knows nothing

will happen now at this bar

the woman knows nobody

will come to meet her here

the woman knows nobody

knows her sorrow

what she has lost

the music stops

the woman stands

a quick perhaps furtive

glance at near human

silhouettes in the smoke

walks slowly to the door

lets in the sunshine

only for a moment

there is only the sax

again caressing the air

and the sad silhouettes

under red and blue lights

the woman is gone

Bob MacKenzie’s poetry has been published across North America and as far away as Australia and India in publications that include The Literary Review of Canada, The Dalhousie Review, Windsor Review, and Ball State University Forum.  He’s published thirteen volumes of poetry and prose-fiction and his work has been featured in numerous anthologies.  He’s received a number of awards for his writing including an Ontario Arts Council grant for literature and a Canada Council Grant for performance.  Withe performance ensemble Poem de Terre, Bob has performed his poetry spoken and sung live with original music and released six albums. He can be found online on his personal Facebook or on his professional page, as well as on Amazon.