The Ladies Room

Cloistered within the restroom stall eavesdropping on my peers soft whispers echo off tiled walls revealing secrets, hidden tears Somehow this restroom has become a sordid confessional booth a place of refuge, safe for some to air their inner truth Co-workers cluster, confiding things they wouldn't want the boss to know nasty hangovers, weekend flings soap-opera worthy woes Some speak carefully, checking stalls noting unfamiliar shoes while others quickly unleash it all like they have nothing to lose “That ratfink took credit for all my work but I'm gonna wait and be patient- 'cause I've got a plan to fix that jerk next week while he's out on vacation!” Young woman details a wicked trap to catch her mortal foe... while on the door, the impatient raps of another who's “got to go” Next there is an angry mother scolding her wayward son something or other (he did to his brother) the fussing has just begun “Listen Mister, I've had about all I can take from you today Oh, now you're sorry, no- don't you bawl! I wasn't born yesterday!” Then tripping in, catty office girls meowling with purrs and sighs pretend to freshen their faces and curls while sniping and scratching out eyes “...Lovely green sweater you're wearing, my dear- wherever did you buy it?” She means it looks quite awful on you “Here, this smells good, you should try it!” “Gangway girls- I'm comin' through!” woman bellows, bursting through door the others pause, and then continue nonchalantly as before Eventually they all trickle out and two teenage girls traipse in whispering about poor What's-Her-Face and all the trouble she's in “She's only twelve, and such a shame tried to kill herself last week they said she's crazy, that she's to blame a loser, misfit, freak...” “So they had her institutionalized and she sits, spaced out, and stares while they tell her the abuse was 'made-up lies' and she knows that no one cares” Sooner or later, there's silence as the restroom door swings closed then after a flush, a wash, a rinse I get myself composed Finally, I'm all alone here in this magical, comforting place voicing my own insecurities, fears to my mirror-image face