Facsimiles

The snake is obviously a man
in a snake costume.

His hardcore fans arrive in scrappy
facsimiles of his mask and tunic.

He makes a hissing sound near the mic
which drives the sound engineer bananas.

We all feel a little stupid shedding
glitter in the diner after the show.

I shred my napkin and contemplate moving
to a city where these events happen

more than once or twice a year.
I want to be part of something bigger

than myself, and Nadine suggests
a walking tour of Hoboken.

Carol wants to drop the Chaucer
class she attends at the community college,

and I recommend getting a prose modernization
of The Canterbury Tales

before making her final decision.
Nadine has grown increasingly withdrawn,

and Carol urges her to tell us what's wrong,
but nothing is particularly wrong,

just different.
We have witnessed something this evening

from which we can never completely
return home,

so we thank the server for another refill
and figure the tip at 30%.