Wendy Shaffer

RUFUS is a writing group.

rufus attempts an evening out

art show
kim, sumptuous, choking
on a chip;
the world president
is not attracted
to these narrow passages
partitioned off
clogged with cultured humans;
the nuclear physicist
(who doesn't usually attend
due to the cleverness of cleveland artists)
follows good-humored
to absorb amy's painting --
          the living room
a large couch textured canvas
tiny purple furniture
ethereal purple dot chairs
in an angel dust curve
of purple and raspberry dots
a little piggy dressed in red --

i just want air
the world president scans the free
times for an extension
to the evening;
the nuclear physicist declaires
fatigue after five grueling hours
of poem construction --
we are drawn back
to talkies
like little metal chips
to a magnet bracelet,
talkies in perpetual three stooges mode;

kim studies the free
times for fun
but keeps reading halloween
halloween still being celebrated
post halloween
by the orange and brown stuffed bear
near the cash register, the numerous front
lawns; the nuclear
physicist studies
the free times
and comes up with tomorrow night's movie
i study it and we decide to drive
eighteen miles for pizza
after dropping
the   nuclear physicist
off to bed.

pizza tastes best
when sitting near the lake
where   dozens of gulls
fish in the dark.