At The Maple Room I Listened and Spent Too Long in The Dark by Robert Halleck

The story belongs to the man
next to me in darkness at noon.
No reason yet to believe his
smiles, tone. We're alone with him.

Lisa, psychologist to us all
has been invited with me into
his life. Little comfort in this
conversation, wine from March, an

uncertain brand of red blend. I
see myself in the mirror
between Jack Daniels, Four Roses.
I am his sun today as he

shifts into high, sharing a blue
metal story about a car,
rubber in all four gears should
have kept it all these years.

The dark monster of his mouth
opens again as he wins liars
dice and Lisa buys a round. Blue
skies somewhere but today I

am his bill of fare. Then, my
turn. Silence becomes noticeable.
A small lie about honey-dos
then an open door, afternoon sun.   

Robert Halleck's work has appeared in over 40 poetry journals, magazine, and annuals in the last few years. Recently his poems have appeared or will appear in the San Diego Poetry Annual, The Paterson Literary Review, The St. Ann's Review, Third Wednesday, Chiron, and The Mockingheart Review. He is a member of San Diego's Not Dead Yet Poets and is a regular attendee of the Kenyon Review's Summer Workshops.