The Movie Theater and Me

by John Grey

I love the movie theater,
the dimness as I find my seat,
the total darkness that precedes
the first flicker of the screen.

And I adore the smell of popcorn,
in my bucket, on the floor.
And the odor of petting of course,
Even when it’s my memory

that sniffs it out.
Can a light be ever more magical
than the one that pours out
of the back wall of the cinema,

fills the blank canvas with color and
action, drama and laughs?
What better state to be in
than body benumbed, eyes wide,

imagination plunking me right
down in some high point in the story.
If I stick to a vicarious life
then I’m always sure to have one.