"At Top of the Staircase"
By Yusef Komunyakaa
Morning snow made the dogwood
shiver outside the leaded windows.
I could feel a wobble under the day,
& my Saturday-night head woozy
as my right foot tremble-danced
a fandango at top of the staircase.
Everything stopped, a laugh bitten
in half. Now, get to the first floor,
I said. Please don’t fall. How many
times I praised my hands if a cup
or glass slipped from my fingers
I caught in midair? Walking yes &
no, I stumbled down the stairs as if
to hereafter, coaxing my right foot
along the carpet. I rose on my toes,
a shaky grip, slid back the top bolt.
I bent low at the waist, my head
pleading to the hard shiny oak floor
as fingers worked the bottom bolt,
& I then turned the brass doorknob.
Larry, man? Sirens & oxygen mask,
my head’s a wintry moon up there
clinging to some black transformer
but can still see a boy dancing wildly,
calling to all the names I’ve known.
Source: Poetry (October 2022)
“Yusef Komunyakaa was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The son of a carpenter, Komunyakaa has said that he was first alerted to the power of language through his grandparents, who were church people: “the sound of the Old Testament informed the cadences of their speech,” Komunyakaa has stated. “It was my first introduction to poetry.” Komunyakaa went on to serve in the Vietnam War as a correspondent; he was managing editor of the Southern Cross during the war, for which he received a Bronze Star. He earned a BA from the University of Colorado Springs on the GI Bill, an MA from Colorado State University, and an MFA from the University of California-Irvine.”
Read more about Yusef here.
🎸 Thursday, July 17 @ 7:00 PM
Savage Wonder Presents: Petty Larceny (No Cover)
Patricia Santos & Brian Broelmann bring a soulful blend of Americana, roots, rhythm, and blues to The Parlor.💭 Thursday, July 17 @ 8:30 PM
Dream Song w/ Tara O’Grady & Daniel Kelly ($15)
A dreamy, improvisational performance where your dreams become songs—live and on the spot.🎭 Friday, July 18 @ 7:00 PM
The Savage Wonder Improv JAM! ($5)
Hosted by Don Romaniello, this high-energy jam is radically welcoming and hilariously unpredictable.🛏️ Saturday, July 19 @ 7:00 PM
Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn ($25)
Marital mayhem, conjoined shirts, and theatrical absurdity—our staged readings are never boring.🎵 Sunday, July 20 @ 3:00 PM
Savage Wonder Presents: Petty Larceny (No Cover)
Catch the duo again for an afternoon session of musical gems and rootsy vibes.🎬 Sunday, July 20 @ 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Savage Wonder Scene Study w/ Christopher Paul Meyer ($250)
A 6-week actor training intensive returns—focused, rigorous, and artistically transformative.