Dark Room
Dark Room
Shaking a submerged print,
I develop an image of him
he no longer lives up to.
Long hair
he loved dearly
clogs shower drains across the city.
Old hangs—
now full of youth
telling jokes he doesn’t catch.
Once mates—
now strangers
making small talk when meeting by chance.
A balding shadow of a purer self
longing to belong,
he is lured by slogans.
He’s a small frame
preaching oppression,
standing empowered after too long sitting out.
Squinting to see an old friend forming under red light—
I wonder, could he have been saved?
Biography: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael Roque began writing poetry and prose while studying at Pasadena City College. He has been based in the Middle East since 2013. He is the author of Writing to a Raid Siren (Pomegranate Press). His work has appeared in literary journals including North Dakota Quarterly, The Queen’s Review, The Roanoke Rambler, Poetry Super Highway, and BlazeVOX.
Image: Unsplash, downloaded (https://unsplash.com/photos/a-blurry-photo-of-a-remote-control-eXMyJRBXSfk) 24. 8. 2026.
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