Recitation

Footnote at the top.  
The two lines of the poem quoted in this piece, are from the poem "The Deadly Solitude Of Alexis Aslanis" by Greek poet  Dionysis Savvopoulos. (English rendering, mine)  
 
 
Started his recitation confidently.  
 
He knew the poem well  
knew it by heart...  
A blend of the political and the personal  
- collective defeat  
individual search for meaning  
and a touching appeal to love's redemptive potential -  
One of his favorites  
never performed before  
at the political memorials he frequented.  
The audience familiar and receptive  
- members and friends of the movement -  
always, appreciative of his readings...  
 
Lips almost kissing mic  
hitting each emotional hue with precision  
holding the listeners captive  
mesmerized  
as he gazed over them slowly  
searching for her face among them  
determined to repair the damage  
incurred at their last encounter  
same time suspending the softness of delivery  
over its interchanging speeds...  
 
His eyes found her at last  
sitting at the room's last table, near the exit  
and their stares locked  
as he almost whispered the poem's last two lines:  
 
"And you who loved me once  
once again you'll feel for me tonight..."  
 
Thunderous applause followed  
his slight head bow  
accompanying his purposeful walk towards her  
stares still locked until he got there  
and she abruptly picked her purse up  
and hurried to the exit.  
 
Thunderstruck he stood  
perplexed, confused, embarrassed  
not knowing what to do  
when two warm hands clasped and shook his own;  
a most beautiful young woman  
looking at him adoringly  
softly speaking words that brought him instant ecstasy within:  
 
"I've never heard such tenderness in a man's voice before!"  
 
He mumbled a 'thank you'  
and something about his love of the poem  
as she slipped a piece of paper in his palm  
"Call me", she said, "I have to go, but, call me... Anytime..."  
and she rushed to the exit...  
 
Unable to even mumble anymore  
attempted to move behind her...  
"You were amazing!... Wow!"  
the hand and voice of a friend intervened.  
"No, no!", he said, pointing to the exiting woman.  
"That was amazing!... Did you see her?"  
"Yeah... Who is she?"  
"Never seen her before, but..."  
and on and on he went relating the incident.  
 
And all along his gut exhilaration  
found its way out to his trembling fingers.  
Nervously, mechanically, unconsciously  
shredding in tens of tiny flinders the little piece of paper  
shredding and scattering  away
the already fragmented numbers
of his dubious newfound meaning for life...