To the man
With his back turned
At the table
Ahead of ours
At the restaurant
—Do you hear
What I am saying?
—Do you have
Something to say?
You seem
To be scholarly
I do not
Know you
But I see
You are eating alone
Your side profile
Shows the arm
Of your glasses
Reaching back
And over ear
Your elbows
On the table
The way
You sip your tea
I just know
You are thinking
Masterpieces
Imagining
Wonderlands
Why
Are you alone
When
Was the last time
You shared
Your stories
How
Can I communicate
To you
That I want to hear
What you’re thinking
About my lauding
Of Nabokov
Are you sitting there
Silently participating
In our conversation
Only as a listener
How many other
Conversations
Have you heard
And not spoken in
How much knowledge
Have you retained
Incubated
Let mix and mingle
What has it become
What do you have to say
I would ask you
To pull up a chair
But I am with my girlfriend
No, that’s not an excuse
It’s because I’m shy
Not drunk enough
Not sure if you
Would even want to
August 29, 2021 at 05:48PM