Sitting in the darkness
Of the theater
Listening to the orchestra
Score the show
Thoughts lead to
A mother who
Desperately wanted to see
Phantom Of The Opera
Before it closed
It's forever long run
At the Ahmanson
She purchased the tickets
And our family headed out
To downtown LA
Which I realize now
Was a scary trek
For parents who never left
The confines of certain freeways
The 405, 101, 134, 170, and 118
May sound like that SNL sketch
But are real line demarcations
On the map of their territory borders
And that moment
Mother trying something new
Leaving the borders
To see a show
That would lead her daughter
To love theater
Which makes me smile
Since her troubles
Lead to missing shows
Lead to missing parties
Lead to missing life
But for that brief moment
She tried something new