Plastic future

'One word',

the earnest guest

tells Dustin

in his Graduate role. 

'Uh huh.'

Significant look. 

'Plastics.'

Pregnant pause. 

'Uh huh.'

Bewildered soul,

facing 

shifting sands

grasps at

Ann Bancroft's

legs like straws

crossing and

uncrossing down

the years

anchoring us

in immature longings. 

'Forgive me

if I don't

shake hands',

say our future

fathers in law 

reminding us

of the 

inconvenient truth 

that loveless lives 

can never be 

the same

once they

blacken 

and crumple

like celluloid 

in a flame.