The Day The Minotaur Died

The day the minotaur died
I had dreamed I had two book readings
scheduled for the same day
and there was stress and anxiety
about getting to these places on time

The first reading I was to follow
a black woman poet who
performed in that "slam poetry" style
where people snap their fingers
and yell stuff like "c'mon!"

I thought that I was wholly ill-prepared
to follow such an act but decided
that my work my life's work
could stand on its own and 
in stark contrast "c'mon!"

Keith Kroken hosted the second reading
at a chain bookstore
I remember wondering if Keith
remembered me from the
days long faded into the past

I looked at my written materials and thought
I could do better for these people
by telling better anecdotes or 
providing some emotional range
But I just read an excerpt from my book

Later I was pushing a book cart loaded
with all sorts of books through an office
hallway with Keith Kroken
Instead of carpeting the office floor was
covered with ankle-high grass and weeds

It was really difficult to move that book cart
I was pulling it through the office corridor
I looked back at Keith and noticed that
he had become Morgan Freeman
Then I woke up to a new day

On this same day I talked with a man called Zoom
about a man called Josh
and about the ethics of geriatric suicide
At about the very same time that day became
The day the minotaur died