in a corner of the labyrinth
halfway in
halfway out
i found a chair by a table
it was a green armchair
with carved mahagony legs
and coarse upholstery
scratchy but inviting
drenched in nostalgia
the table was an end table
round top
recently refinished
so it reflected the dim light
of the hallway
on the table was a vase
made of depression-era glass
and containing one yellow rose
freshly cut
still aromatic
by the vase was a book
no dust cover
thick hardcover
and though i wanted to
i couldn’t read the title
i wanted to sit in the chair
i wanted to rest a while
and maybe read the book
and maybe take a nap
or just inhale the rose’s aroma
but it was a trap
an illusion
to keep me from going further
so i walked past
and on
further into the labyrinth
04.10.23
