The waitresses
upbeat chatter
doesn’t match
her sad face
Tea is steeping
milk and sugar
patiently waiting
And I am lost
among the
knives and forks
plates of half-eaten meals
Thoughts adrift
in shafts of sunlight
spilled across the counter
Pay the check
leave a tip
and walk out
the same door
I walked in
Keep things simple
until my mind
returns
Bringing with it
what was lost
and found
(D. James)