Monday, July 9, 2012

If It Please the Court

If It Please the Court

The honk and scuff
of furniture being

rearranged without
concern for the floor.

Help me with this
table, one of us on

each end. I can walk
backwards if you look

out for me. The chairs
next, to the edges of

the room. I’ll show you
my trick for the witness

stand: push your palm
into the molding here,

see how it folds. This
courtroom is collapsible.

I’ll deflate the jury box
or we can leave it up

and bring in the lid to
make it a bouncy castle.

Your Honor, those robes
were made for dancing.

Here comes the klezmer
band. “Hava Nagila” is

inevitable, it always is.
You don’t have to get lifted

in the chair if you don’t want
to, but you do have to dance.

7 comments

  1. Ha! A kangaroo court, I presume, Hannah?

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  2. I like the sharpened edges of this gonzo furniture moving experience.

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  3. Ha ha...you had me laughing so hard. You would not mind if I shared this with our dearest dearest friend who is a Superior Court judge for the 9th district...she will love it I am certain. : )

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  4. I just love the notion of 'the honk and scuff of furniture being moved'. The image sets up this account of an Alice-in-Wonderland courtroom beautifully!

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  5. Sorry - 'Reubs' is me! My son has usurped my Blogger sign-in.

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  6. So funny! Yes, Hava Nagila is always, always inevitable. I've been lifted in the chair more than once...

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  7. "You don’t have to get lifted/
    in the chair if you don’t want
    to, but you do have to dance."

    How far can the judicial system really neglect this? With the toga-like habiliments of the judges, could we really seriously accept the "blindfoldedness" of justice, when it is meted only by humans on sub-humans? They do have to dance some time. Wry humour. Irony. Political. A great commentary on the justice system---its furniture must be moved around. Around whom? Those that it serves. Bravo, H.

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