I’m too late to be this early
Too early to be this late
The party is over and hasn’t started yet
Finished and not yet begun
Waiting for the band
Though they’ve played and gone home
I watched them leave as I waited for them to arrive
The anticipation and the post-event letdown
Clean-up and set-up is the same task
Each prop returned to its place on the set
The set of my life
Catalogued objects queued in order of expected use
The curtain has fallen, and has yet to rise
I stand in the shadows, in the dark, in the wing
I wait, and am waiting, and have waited
For the lights to go lower
For the lights to be light
The seats are all empty
The stage has been set
The script has been lost
The actors are missing
I’m too early
I’m too late
Now
