THE DINNER PARTY
1. Getting Ready
Mrs. Fraser is getting
ready for dinner. A party of twelve. Very special (as always), designed to
impress Mr. Fraser's colleagues and their wives.
A black velvet
dress clings to her slim figure. Diamond earrings and necklace. Silver hair, coiffed in an up-do only her
hairdresser can accomplish. She's almost ready.
From a dresser
drawer, hidden in her silk lingerie, Mrs. Fraser takes out a silver flask and
swallows long and slowly. The liquid
fires up her throat and her nerve.
a lone walker–
the night
blooming jasmine
cast in shadow
2. The Dinner
Crystal glasses,
English china, Belgian lace. A table set for royalty. Mrs. Fraser longingly
gazes out the window. A summer night cries out for a barbeque, not caviar and
squab; beer not Verve Clicquot.
On her right is
Mrs. Henry.
Your
grandson? Precocious is he? Toilet
trained in one week you say? Remarkable! Did you notify The Times? Yes, I'm joking.
Of course I'm joking.
On her left is
Judson Parker. She kicks his creeping foot away from hers.
Yes, I agree. Desperate
hunger in the world. Should all do our part. I'll start now and pack up this dinner for the
Homeless Mission downtown. What's that you say? A joke, yes. Just a joke.
bouquet of roses
silky petals
fall with a
touch
3. Saying
Good-bye
Goodnight.
Goodnight. Thank you. Lovely to see you. Next week at the Henderson's? Can't wait to
see their infinity pool. A restful view, I'm sure. Perhaps, I'll jump in and
disappear into infinity. Yes. Yes. Another joke.
night voices
rumbles of
thunder
before the
deluge
4. Lights Out
Midnight. The house
locked down. One more successful dinner. One more gold star.
Mrs. Fraser
takes out the flask again and places a bottle of pills next to it. She lines up the pills on her dresser. With
slow deliberation her hand moves from pill to mouth to flask, from pill to
mouth to flask, from pill to mouth to flask.
storm brewing
an owl's call
thrown to the
wind
Modern Haiku, Oct. 2016
