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.