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ROOMS: $135 A WEEK
by Terry OlynikNick could barely suppress a chuckle as he surveyed his current "kingdom" on this rainy Thursday evening.
A ten by twelve foot room with a leaky faucet, two sixty watt light bulbs and a clock radio for ambience.
Not one month ago his seldom used guest bedroom in his former residence had larger dimensions.
At that time he used to fret when his wife was late returning from her real estate appointments.
Now he had absolutely no idea where his wife was, in what state, if it was raining there too.
He turned up the radio, Radar Love, to drown out the idiot fighting couple above him.
Cigarettes and beer were running low, so he knew a wet trip to the bodega awaited.
Against his better judgement, he again examined the plaque "World's Best Dad".
He finished his Dos Equis and employed the rusty kitchen sink as his urinal.
The shared filthy bathroom at the end of the hall was too inconvenient.
He remembered the his and hers bathrooms at the Atlantis resort.
Making love to his sweet Kathryn on the cool marble vanity.
Nick lit his last Gitane, tossing the empty pack aside.
Pulling on a black tee shirt, he took two Rolaids.
Slipping on his boots, he surveyed the room.
He extracting two twenties from his wallet.
Which he left, open, on the side table.
He would have combed his hair.
But there wasn't a mirror.
He realized it was time.
He wouldn't return.
Not on this night.
Without hope.
His destiny.
Reduced.
To this.
02/20/2009 Posted on 02/21/2009
Copyright © 2025 Terry Olynik
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Colleen Sperry on 02/21/09 at 04:30 AM love the reducing shape .. I found it definitely added to your words which paint a very sad real pic |
| Posted by Katerina T Nix on 02/21/09 at 12:08 PM Excellent read, Terry. I agree that the presentation of the poem certainly adds to the strength of the message. Powerful imagery as well. Thanks for sharing this piece. -Kat |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 02/21/09 at 02:49 PM Excellent combination of verbage and graphics Terry, putting us right into the picture of the seamy side of life, but not without a touch of humor. |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 02/23/09 at 12:20 AM Excellent writing. I'm afraid this is becoming the epitaph for many right now. |
Posted by Elizabeth Jill on 02/23/09 at 12:23 AMPlease! We are left cliffhung.
what happens next? |
| Posted by Elizabeth Jill on 02/23/09 at 12:24 AM Kristina? I seek your wisdom. You see something. |
| Posted by James Zealy on 02/24/09 at 05:10 PM What is there left to say? He has made his bed and is living in it, literally. We all wish there were happy endings to events like this, but sometimes events are snapshots of the same thing repeated over and over. |
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