The Late Arrival
Original EveryPoem Studio house-voice poem.
The reading has already begun
when the back door opens.
The usher does not turn the moment
into a public lesson.
She waits for the page to finish,
then guides the family along the wall
where three seats remain.
A child whispers sorry.
The usher whispers nothing to forgive.
The room returns to listening,
made kinder by what did not happen.
61 words · 11 lines · Free Verse