Unrequited Love

Think of this as a spoken poem. Read it aloud. I will record this later.


A dream of a new kind of comedy club,
an interactive circle of guests and troupe.

The room ever changing,
ever shifting,
joy and laughter provoking thought and creativity.

Draw upon history,
teachings,
your love and your soul.

Share your inner desires,
passions,
fantasies.

An open forum,
every night a different tale,
a new beginning,
each participant leading the group down a new path.

Friendships forged,
lovers knots tightened,
and family born.

The host sits atop his stool,
voice-acting characters playing across a screen.

Five dollar entry fee paid,
seats taken,
everyone gathers 'round.

Lights dim as the screen goes dark.

A single spotlight illuminates our host,
his voice carries through the small room,
commanding attention,
requesting silence.

"Let us begin tonight with a story of a courtesan, who would like to throw the first line?"

My lips smile,
my hand shoots to the air.
A story has already unfolded once before in my head;
dare I attempt to have it play out tonight?

I am chosen.

In a seductive, breathless air, I shout out, "Oh, Romeo!"

The group takes the bait.

Our courtesan is in love,
bound by her guild-honor,
never to reveal her secret,
yet desperate for his affection.

Juliet is her code-name,
all her lovers are thus Romeo.

Her forbidden love entwines in her nightly lusts,
longing for the return of her one true Romeo.

This love is her weakness,
she tries to bury deep in a Pandoric box.

He but holds the key to her true desires,
and he has returned.

They embrace and dance,
music of times of old,
rhythms beating of ancient eras.

My voice began our tale,
my voice here ends:
"It is in the throes of passion,
she screams once more,
'Oh, Romeo,'
and finishes the thought in her mind:
'If only I were more of a Cleopatra,
and could ensnare your heart as you have enslaved mine!"

The group moves on,
the next topic started.

Tomorrow I will join again,
eager to hear the next addition,
sure of the same result.

A five dollar entrance fee into a circle of new faces,
the same story told by different voices.
How I wonder if this comedy club is not possessed;
ghosts of our pasts have taken up residence.

Unrequited love plays beautifully in a crowded room.