This was an assignment i did at college. its a pretty lame attempt at "visual poetry", and its a little long, so i apologize in advance. This is in memory of ms. hima reza, the best prof and writer i have ever known. hey ms. r, hope you're happy wherever you are.

strolling in circles to nowhere

i enter the jaded door to ennui

walk barefoot into a room

full of glittering strangers

i wrinkle my nose

at the stale stink of success

glare at the Familiar

and i think:

"

preposterous travesty

I must phone God and complain immediately

and have them put out of their misery

"

but i'm one cent short of a load

and no one picked up last time anyway

so i grin

as we mouth to each other

miserably animated

and i say

"hellohowareyou finethankyou"

an old friend comes along

smelling of moth balls as usual

the old geezer

and i stretch my lips across my teeth

and as we airkiss, i say

"howdoyoudosir I'mfinethankyou"

he winds up his fist

and rams it in my chest

mesmerized by the pain, i think

"

could he be the One?

will this cure the acidity of isolation?

will this stop the solitude?

"

i giggle, and say instead

"ohi'msorrysir i'mfinethankyou"

his fingers grope through ribs

and intercostal muscles

reach their goal

clutch my heart

it beats for a second

resists the walls of his palm

then surrenders greatfully

traitor

i bellow with hilarity

ohthankyousir i'mfinethankyou"

but before i'm finished

he yanks his hand back

i feel aorta and venecava tearing

lungs pumping into nothingness

a scream almost slips out!

very uncool to call attention to yourself

when you stand with naked feet

in a room full of crowded strangers

the man is amused

by my almost breach of etiquette

takes a bite out of the quivering red mass

black blood drips down his mouth

"it must be the cooks day off. this stuff is terrible!"

he mutters

spitting it back in my face

In the reverberating stillness, I think:

"

a 24 karat hole

in a gaping heart

really itches

where is that damn phone?

"

but the line is busy

disgusted, he throws the heart onto the floor

stalks off

grinding it beneath his heel

without even noticing

i hail to his departing figure

"pleasedtomeetyou wemustdolunchsometime"

i listen for the sound of his soul

it doesn't reply

so i continue to stand

and i wonder

"

is God screening my SOS calls?

or do i have the wrong number?

"

i mingle in circles going no where

in a room full of glittering strangers

hoping they won't notice

my naked feet