Going to the Movies

Hiding in the dark with a bag of popcorn
no one can find me
perfect freedom
the antidote to boredom
the ever-ready vacation.

It’s like going to church
in the dark womb of the theatre.
I’m reverent in my attention,
schooled in a broader world.

A devotee since childhood,
I would skip the annual circus,
to sit close in the dark,
a boy’s arm around me
even then the juices flowing,
the saliva-driven urge to merge.

An alternate reality available
instantly
for the price of a movie ticket.