Falling

Seated beside me in the front row of the theater's
balcony, my friend said he was frightened
by the overwhelming urge to hurl himself over
the low railing. No joke. He was mired in dread.
His eyes though were not resigned to death.
Unclenching my teeth, I let him know that I'd
already imagined myself locked in a life-or-death
clinch with the harmless stranger seated at my side,
and was now frightened that when I stand a demon
in the row behind will calmly shove me.