finishing ages easing out of Cinderella’s slipper to wear the floppy clown shoe knowing that the last laugh goes to the comic not the ingenue. exiting the stage on a sonnet that closes with a couplet a twist, a turn a final line a rhyme. sitting in the second balcony in wrinkled shadow watching players on the Boards 4. below. drifting through the adolescence of the soul stretched like a young man’s voice timbre uncontrolled, not knowing how it will emerge--a squeak or resonant, and deep. | shrinking into a raisin, still chewy sweetness dried, but lasting clinging to the tooth | like alpine flower to stony rock. relaxing to a yoga chant, first feet then ankles, legs, body, arms shoulders, neck--till face falls into shrouded Sleep. lingering with lacy ghost of an old moon loneliness still on the retina after the lamp’s — turned off. --Lee McKenzie (1934-1994) e We sincerely thank Jess McKenzie for his cooperation —