Playing Dead ~ Emma Rich

An empty stool

When Carolyn remarks - not sotto voce

at all,  “Jo-Joe should never have left,”

I think she can’t mean it – not like that.

We all know it’s half past ten

(and that her babysitter will want

time and a half if she’s late again).

We’re all waiting for this rehearsal

to end, for the credits to roll.

We all know the stand-in has taken

way too long learning his lines.

Ask me, I knew it wouldn’t work:

singing in the rain, wearing glasses,

with an anonymous face.  Too nice,

too boy-next door to fall down

on his knees on a damp pavement

with panache.  So not what‘s needed,

so not what Warrington needed.

They should have told him, “No,”

shouted “Next”.  They should have

fired, not hired him.  I mean how

hard is it to sit there on a bar stool,

without moving, gesturing, saying

nothing, at the very end of the Show,

like Jo-Jo did every goddam night .

Until he didn’t move. 

At all.  Just waiting

to be carried off.

Come the end.

I reply, “In harness, darling.

What he would have wanted.”

~ Emma Rich ~