I did not go tonight
To my accustomed place.
I chose instead something familiar
Yet different.
Some place known and convenient,
Yet different.
And it was not right.
I do not say that anything was wrong –
Wrong in the doing,
Wrong in the intention.
I do not say that anything was done wrong –
Wrong in the preparation,
Wrong in the execution.
But, it was not right.
It was not as I expected;
But that was what I expected.
It was not as I would have done it;
But, I was not doing it.
I did not expect it to be right.
But, it was not right.
It was beautiful,
But just enough wrong
To cause discomfort.
It was fitting,
But just enough off of fit
To leave me frustrated.
It was familiar,
But just enough unfamiliar
To set me on edge.
It was comfortable,
But just enough uncomfortable
To cause distress.
And I was stressed;
And my feet didn’t fit,
And my knees were out of place,
And my hamstrings ached,
And my back was tight,
And my shoulders were strained.
I did not go tonight
To my accustomed place;
And where I went
What I heard unsettled me;
What I saw distressed me;
What I felt discomfited me.
And on reflection,
It was absolutely right.