"The staff know me here."
You say with a grin
and hold the door
So I can walk in
A waitress greets us
A rictus snarl on her face
and shows us some seats
where tables jostle for space
Ordering my food for me
can be gentlemanly and nice
but please ask what I want first
- just a word of advice
I had started to wonder
Why they hate you here
but it doesn't take long
for the cracks to appear
“No cordon bleu here!”
You patronise staff
I feel my smile fix
as you joke and you laugh
Your handling of chopsticks
Far more expert than mine
So yes, I used cutlery -
I like to eat, when I dine
I look at the food
At our waitress’s face
And hope if she spat
It was just in your place
Meal finally over
I leave our waitress some change
It wasn’t her fault
That you were acting deranged
And I realise, just then,
At her pitying smile
That she too was your date
For an interminable while
©cih17, February 2017
