Constitutional Room  



My eyes get weary from editing, 
hour after hour, at this damn terminal. 
Sometimes, laser-crisp mobility 
facilitates the evaluation process 
for evening or next day perusal. 

The first thing I do in the morning 
is make a pot of coffee and when 
the first cup is in hand I grab the 
paper, or available works in progress, 
and head to the Constitutional room. 

It is rumored that the Declaration 
of Independence was written behind 
a door with a crescent-moon cutout for light. 
I've also heard that the Illuminati 
wait precisely till the moon 

is seventy-six degrees towards zenith 
and the body reaches evacuation 
point to obtain their most profound 
religious enlightenment. 
Only then can Celestial winds 

divide the nobler gases from the methane. 
My wife made me replace the door 
to our bathroom, as well as the skylight. 
My neighbor, Martha, in the apartment above, 
didn't mind providing an occasional moon, 

but Helen said it wasn't Celestial. 
Nonetheless, the Constitutional room 
is still where I try to determine 
what is inspirational and what is base 
and needs to be flushed. 


-- Mark W. Stacks