Are you now denied all access
Has your ticket long been punched
Is your fear stuck in the alley
Intermezzo—out to lunch

Will you ever see the picture
From the far end of the line
Would the curtain serve to raise your hopes
Can a loser ever shine

The doorman calls “It’s Showtime”
As the lights all start to dim
An usher shouts “There’s One Seat Left”
You madly rush within

With eyes that fight the darkness
You find that one last chair
And on the stage, hope kisses fear
—all encores yours to share

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)