At the Movies

Looked up too late and so I missed
the moment that the lovers kissed.
Taking a break, I closed my eyes.
Missed seeing how the hero dies.

Paresthesia setting in
caused me to take a little spin
for five minutes or maybe ten
to the lobby and back and then

when I got back, the credits started.
So as everyone departed,
I left as well, regretting so
how I had missed most of the show.

With old film cameras, when the bulb flashed,
it produced something that would last.
A photo mounted in a book
gave something upon which to look.

But movies are impermanent.
Moment after moment went
into the past, so if one blinked,
what they had missed became extinct.

That’s why next time I didn’t go
when invited to the show.
I stayed at home and had a nap,
my photo album in my lap.

Prompts today are look up, missed, paresthesia, bulb and old film camera.