LIFE: A PLAY
by John T. Baker
(In As Many Acts As Necessary)

How long the wait, the curtain will not rise;
We scan the playbill, turn another page,
Then punctuate the time with little sighs
And slowly squirm, our eyes upon the stage.

At times we slip outside to drink or smoke
Or break away to answer nature's call;
We mingle with the crowd, pretend to joke,
Then fretfully rush back into the hall.

And finally the moment that excites,
The hush that falls, the tingling of the skin;
Director Death prepares to dim the lights,
The play at last is ready to begin.

And only then we learn, alas so late,
If what comes next was really worth the wait.