The Eclipse

The Eclipse

Original Text

Michael Lista. Bloom. Toronto, Ontario: House of Anansi Press, 2010.

1It is here during the London premier
2Of Fat Man and Little Boy, 1989
3(Shadow Makers in the UK) that John Cusack—
4Who plays you Louis—rises in the back
5Row and crosses god-sized across the projector,
6Obliterating hugely what had promised to be
7His name-making scene.
8Every patron in every seat
9Turns to the backlit star
10And misses you in your name-making scene.
11The soundtrack holds its breath.
12The fountain sodas hold their breath
13Then gasp bubbles as he swoops
14The scene into shadow. Onscreen
15(Borne on Cusack’s back), Cusack screams
16“Everybody back” then the screwdriver slips.
17Zeus allows a loud lone crack. Someone shouts
18“Critical.” Someone shouts “Move.”
19Dustmotes orbit like a sky reordered—
20He is Lazarus with a blue light bearing him on.
21The panic passes as he trips accidentally past
22The key grip, gripping a seatback
23And the scene crests the east
24Of his shoulder heroically.
25He hears himself say “mark the positions
26You’re standing in then get out”
27As he crosses the lobby into the street.
28His cab noses home to the hotel.
29In the backseat, he turns to the window
30Where the moon is wearing its own face as a mask.
after Nobody
RPO poem Editors
Jim Johnstone
RPO Edition
2013
Special Copyright

Poem used with permission of the author.