Vaudeville
you say watch the floor
and they both look down and ask
why, is it moving
or they hold out a balloon for a kid
and when he reaches for it
they let it go to sputter through the air
and laugh as the kid’s smile melts away
or when Steve asks them to unload everything from his car trunk
they pack his spare and jack in shoe cases
and watch as he unpacks them in the store
they howl at each other’s antics
and you watch thinking
this is the Little Rascals grown-up
or perhaps the Little Rascals taller
would be better
and when Jack’s brother joins them
one does think of the Three Stooges
they will climb in a box and kick each other around
or move the safe on an unsuspecting manager
or clip off the tips of the paper cups by the water cooler
or tell as many bad jokes as you’ll stand for
before you walk away
then follow you to tell a few more
Zaida watches Ish’s attempt at Costello
and shakes her head thinking
such a waste
Ish continues though
with Jack as straight man
even sticking his face in an ice cream cake
for something resembling an effect
and even Gerry can feel superior to that
how can someone respect themself
Luz asks
and do that
you don’t know
Zaida doesn’t know
Stacey stopped asking the question
Julie just wants to know where the ham in her sandwich went
and Ish toys with a water gun
thinking dark thoughts concerning Jack
life is one secondhand routine after another
and maybe if one does enough
another movie will come on the screen
a second feature
so to speak
and what will his role be in that
one wonders
if there will be a role for him
at all
Leonard Durso 
Okay….chuckling I am this morning! LOVE the tips off the cups at the water cooler trick 🙂
Glad it made you laugh.
Thanks for the moment away from it all: captivating!
You’re welcome. Glad you like the series.
Love this. The tone and flow of an fond reminiscing of pranksters is perfect. Yet there is also the darker undertow in the poem, the other side of a life lived by whimsy that so perfectly hits in the last two lines.
Thank you for this perceptive comment.
Beautiful ❤
Happy to connect!
Do check out my writings too, will appreciate your reviews 💕
Thank you and I did check out your blog just now. You have an openness in our writing and observations which is refreshing. I look forward to reading more, and since now that I’m following you that probably means I’ll get that opportunity. By the way, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of the two female lovers (Hermia, I believe) says, and I’m paraphrasing here because I don’t have the energy at this moment to skim the play looking for the exact quote, I’m short but fierce. I have a feeling you will one day be able to say the very same thing.
This means a lot! Thank you so much ❤
You are very welcome and deserving.