I Needed That

A needle in a groove -
just the five of you
and me in a room,
sharing a story,
forgetting a history
and making believe for a time.

A guarantee of more
than the blasting boredom
of the same patch of sky
out my wood-frame window,
the same wood-panel wall,
the same five trees,
the same scattered clouds,
while a strength of voice
leaves welts in my heart.

Just sounds that make this all
just the breath, the heat,
and the desire I always thought
was going to be real.
Just one more illusion of closeness
while the rounded plastic wheel
doles out all the pieces
of this fantasy and its end.

My heart slows to the cadence
of someone else's world
and takes me out of here,
with just a little help
from the beer in my hand.