picture piece read aloud

he bellied up
to the piano
and barked out found words
that had been printed on the backs of found women
broken words sharded so cut glass in the palatine tonsil
and sometimes he paused in further fragmentation
when the room got too taught and air fell smooth
around the edge of the pages

the audience enraptured ( or dead )
shifted only slightly in breaking
a silence with crinkled
vinyl from the heated
thigh peeling away
and daring not to order drinks till intermission
which came too fast anyway although
he really enjoyed the feel of
cold beer washing the room
down his throat
sated
finally