ONE MAN FEASTS AT A TABLE FOR THREE
two teenagers laugh at a third. a woman asks for water. a child sings to her mother in spanish. these sounds are just moons.
everyone in the taqueria orbits one man at a round table. he wears a blue jacket so dirty even the stains are stained by other impurities. he has a faded hat that no longer advertises anything. his beard is oldgrowth.
there are three plastic bags on the table.
he reaches into one & pulls out a piece of pepperoni pizza. it is stiff. he smiles, sets it on his lap. his hand disappears into another bag & returns w/a donut. sprinkles. he flips the donut upside down, places it onto the pizza… twisting it slightly like a screw.
& still, the moons spin. a cellphone rings. three men debate jukebox selections. a baby cries from a stroller.
as i stand to leave, the man in the dirty clothes reaches into the last bag. he retrieves a fork wrapped carefully in a napkin, which he untangles… digs in.
