Inside the auditorium
Of one of the city’s
Smaller theaters
Amongst
A sizeable crowd
For such an
Off Broadway venue
Professor Egon Heineman
Had just finished his lecture
On how he came about
His latest oddity
That he was momentarily about
To expose
As he had advertised.
The Living Headless Woman.
Soon to be unveiled
Before our very eyes.
He looked pleased.
He began to pull back
The heavy velvet curtain
But it became stuck.
A soft
White feminine hand
Came from behind
Purposely
To help him move the
Fabric to the side.
This revealed
To the astonishment
Of the audience
A torso
Of a woman
With no head.
A plate
Upon her neck
From which
Four tubes
Protruded
Extending
Into
Visible tanks
Providing her
With the vital fluids
To keep her alive.
“Please warmly welcome Olga!”
She criss crossed
Her legs.
“Are you nervous?”
He asked.
Professor Heineman
Offered her
A cigarette.
“Would you like a smoke?”
Then realizing
His error
He corrected himself
And instead
Posed
“Pardon me.”
“Perhaps you can light mine?”
The torso’s legs moved again
As her arm reached
Forward
To hold the butane lighter in his hand
And light his cigarette
Perfectly
Without
Any adjustment.
A woman in the audience fainted
Leaning into her partner.
The chamber in which Olga sat
Was eerily quiet
Except for the bubbling tubes
And vessels.
The torso
Nervously
Tapped her fingers
On the arms of the chair
Or fidgeted her hands
In her lap.
She was well dressed
And lovely
In an evening gown
And heels.
She wore pearls
Around her neck
And more around her wrists.
There were sparkling rings
On several fingers
Reflecting the golden light
From within.
It was easy to imagine
That she was once from society
Or a starlet of some sort.
The body glowed
There In the box
As the professor
Went on about statistics
Of body temperature
Diet
Response
Cardio...
All in such a factual
Scientific way
That we wanted to believe
What we saw before us
Was real.
Not bothered at all
By the admission
That we paid
To get here.
“Alas...”
He exclaimed sadly
As the curtains closed.
“She very fondly misses champagne and dancing...”
“To that my friends, we end this exhibition.”
“Every day that you are alive, live well...”
The house lights went on...
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