The Moviegoer
By Juliet Leclerc

The cinema
“I’ll have one ticket”
The feel of the stiff small paper in my hand
Clicking the corner
For a wonderful tick sound
Showing the agent the ticket
Having him verbally direct me to the theater
Even though I know the location of every hall
I’ve been there so many times before
The ripping of the ticket in half
Along the perforated line
Sounding like a speedy zipper zooming up a jacket

The concession stand emits its usual perfumes
Popper popcorn with the sweet smell of butter
The sugary softness of Twizzlers or chocolate
Spinning in my nostrils

The slight rocking of the seat, commercials on a loop
Until the light dims slightly over the immense hall
Green screens informing of coming attractions
Building the excitement for the feature film
Complete darkness covers the theater
My heart pumps full of excitement before
A two-hour roller coater of emotion

And the rest is history