Acts Of Grace Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

“What news from Lord Buddha? ” asked Kate Callahan
just having spent a year with Kogaku Roshi.
I said, “The same…suffering everywhere.”
Just then Cookie opened the door of Meng’s bathroom
and stepped out completely naked
exclaiming, “Angel, gimme the perfume.”
Angel reached into her mini-purse
removed a bottle and handed it to Cookie
who returned to the tiny toilet.
Just then an obese man waddled in saying,
“I been looking for you all morning, Angel.”
“Sit your ass down, Cornelius.”
“I gotta go to work.”
“I’m doin’ a buttered bagel now, honey. You gotta wait.”
“Can’t wait, been waiting all week.”
Suddenly Cookie stepped from the bathroom
and returned to her buttered bagel.
Angel entered.
Cornelius followed her but couldn’t close the door
because of the big belly
his massive frame blocking the view entirely.
But a moment later I had a pretty good idea
what was going on when he moaned, “OOOHH, OOOHH.”
From behind the counter
Huey screamed, “NO NOISE FATTY MAN.”
I don’t think Cornelius heard Huey’s admonition
since he continued to moan
finally ending his passion with “AAGGHH”
as his knees buckled and he fell to the floor.
Angel spit into the sink,
stepped over the fallen Cornelius,
returned to her seat,
and continued to munch her buttered bagel.
Kate Callahan sighed, stared at me
finally saying, “Bernstein, what a life...what a life.
I mean, that’s no way to live.
I mean, giving blowjobs in Meng’s toilet.
And poor Cornelius...
everyone heard him moaning
no love
no tenderness...so sad...”
“I don’t know, ” I said softly.
Not responding she continued, “So much suffering...
every damn place...
so much suffering.”
“I don’t know, ” I repeated
more softly than before.