His Imaginary Friends

It’s no fun for imaginary friends of his
He yells out and he swears
he’ll even tie them to a chair
No I don’t envy his imaginary friends...

His imaginary friends must want to leave sometimes
Though often he’ll regret,
and pick them flowers by the swing set
Still I think his friends would wish that they could leave.

Do his imaginary friends hear the thumping on their walls
the times the sirens come to call
to take their mothers for a while?
Do they have to stay inside, wondering where they can hide
from a father’s broken smile?

One day they may find they’ve been replaced by graceful
wedding vows from bated breath,
Says he’ll love her until death
Will his imaginary friends feel free by then?

Or will his imaginary friends hang out and wait by his front door
to hear her say she’ll leave for sure?
Would they help her find her coat and shoes?
Are his imaginary friends wanting him to scream at them
Instead—or will they search for someone new?

Maybe they’ll look for a home, on empty seats on the subways
Look for men cursing at the air
some at cell phones in their hair...
If his friends need a place to stay the subway’s there...

Or perhaps in front of anger on the television screens,
behind enemy lines
where the terror's lurking blind.
There’s always a place for his imaginary friends...

Copyright Tracy S. Feldman, All rights reserved