Trophy Life

I once met a man

who led with

his Emmy

He took it with him

EVERYWHERE

He let it

do the talking

he never said

to anyone

how he came

to possess this

shiny object

he just let us all

make up our

own stories

which of course

involved him

having

magnificent talent

Really though

best I can tell

based on

the credits

(it actually was a good movie)

he either just

wrote a check

or

more likely

was simply a human bridge

connecting his

famous friends

with 

the real creative forces

for which he was

rewarded that

credit

that landed him

fourteen pounds

worth of the false truth

that he had

actually done something

when really

he had not

No he never

revealed any of that

and I probably would not

have gone looking

but you know

he used that shiny lure

to fish from me

a tremendous amount

of work

I’ll make you a star

he declared

(I did not want to be a star

I just like

working on projects)

Besides

what he meant was

just as he had before used

someone else’s hard work

to elevate himself

to glory

here he was

doing it again

I could sit here

all day

and well into

next week

and tell you how

I sat in the dust

of his sudden departure

(embarked upon

once he had

gotten what he wanted

from me)

I watched his

award winning performance

in my mind

saw with

humiliating clarity

what a chump

I had been

(Yes, again)

It had all been

an act

The praise he

heaped upon me

the gifts he gave

Narcissists really know

how to

work those breadcrumbs

For today

I present to you

but one scene

that perfectly captures

this man

a filthy rich man

I might add

(Thanks to daddy)

We had just finished

a massive project

and by “we”

I mean

ninety-percent me

He was heading over

to celebrate

I offered to 

buy us lunch

he insisted

he was going to

be in charge of that

He arrived with

a massive pizza

I fucking love pizza

I said I would

get us some plates

He said he’d already eaten

I opened the box

Half a pizza

Gone

He could not wait

to celebrate

with me

That night

he sent me

an invoice

for half

a pizza

Then he

called the lawyer

canceled our legal agreement

and found

some other woman

to do his

lazy ass bidding

I hear he is

going to

make her

A Star