Harkening Back

" Harkening Back "

by Suzán Jiván

Performed on YouTube
as, " Months Before "

Months before
teetering
while seeking
to rein in
the little-known
thwarted reports
in staccato
With a nod
to a star
as a chaotic
cosmic snarl
disappearing
into inevitability
with indignant
disbelief
Disguised
as bonhomie
adding sharply
to the top
of the heap
in stand-
up comedy
Never
wavering
from the deadpan
shattered
by huge laughs
laid-back
on laugh tracks
acceding
to demand
held
for ransom
With
the utmost
care
fancied
as
a man
with
the biggest
laugh
but
a telling
lapse
in slight
of hand
harkening
back
laid bare...