Now.... Poem by RIC BASTASA

around you are
tense people
the prosecutor is
having a hard time
finding the right
words
the accused looks
down and from time
to time stares
at you, and you look
back, stoic, and
indifferent like a
wall
you have the eyes
of the sand,
the rest are silent
focused on the
proceeding,
a child cries but
then her mother
carries her away from
that gloom,
there are no more
reasons for
fear,
you give a smile,
not so profound,
and then you say
let us begin again.

where are we now?
you stress the word:
just now. Now.