—YOU NEVER STOP, YOU NEVER STOP WORKING

 

Diner

 

The waitress who brings 

my waffles sets them down, 

syrup running over everything 

like fool’s gold and suddenly 

I can’t stop crying, tears like 

dead pearls watering the maple 

until its luster’s gone.

For a few moments, we 

stare at each other without speaking. 

No one notices us or recognizes how 

much she resembles my daughter 

that day the semi turned wrong and 

the diner ended up shorthanded.