
May 16, 2025
my lurid pantomime
By Lee Zumpe
the softness of the carpets,
light filtered through bottle-glass windows,
an artificial tree, its branches stretching,
unfolding, grasping for life it cannot attain.
it’s me there, on the floor,
my head on a patch of uncovered terrazzo,
family members engaged in seasonal chatter,
while I imagine walking across the ceiling.
I tune it all out, the droning voices,
flashes of melodrama, discomfort,
dormant feuds simmering
underneath a lurid pantomime.
generations of secrets and tragedies
distilled into scrapbook snapshots –
their distant expressions frozen,
forgotten, grasping for life they cannot attain.

Write City Ezine is currently open to submissions. See submission guidelines for further information.
Affiliates/Partners
Testimonials
Contact
Join CWA
Member Profile
My Account
Writers Conference
Presenters
Agents and Publishers
Pitch Sessions
Sponsors
Scholarships
Speaker Registration
Book of the Year
Spirit Award
First Chapter Contest
Resources
Home
Chicago Writers Association
info@chicagowrites.org
Make a Difference!