On a lark
found myself
in that dark secret restaurant
no one goes to
I’ll take the soup of the day
my vain attempt to avoid
extravagance
And desert to say farewell
to another lovely person
Yes, I would like fresh ground pepper
to give the soup some kick
“’O sole mio” belting out into
the well–appointed empty room
Spinach–lobster soup
Hearty and delicate
Plenty of bread with which to dip
And something in its craftsmanship
Some hidden source of quality
Slows me
I shift gears
Look upon the playing of traffic
lights refracting through the beveled glass
Lose myself gazing at the Christmas
light–encircled tree
And savor
Dip, dip, dip
Savor
Reflect
Gaze
Dip
Spoon
A bit of lightheadedness
some garrulous fullness overtakes me
This happens on rare occasions
unexpectedly in exotic places
That restaurant in Quebec when
I became giddy
I try to talk to the waiter
as he is about to remove my bowl
Three times I work my mouth
before I get the words out
Chocolate sauce for the vanilla pudding with raspberries?
They accommodate me with a delicate dribble
of chocolate syrup over raspberry sauce
atop a ridiculously small mound of pudding
and four raspberries
Still overcome by the soup I wait
Allowing more minutes and traffic to pass
till I gently approach the plate
I carve out one small sliver and
Bomb out in its astonishing taste
So, time stands still
nibble by nibble
Each spoonful an era
Regaling in the comradery of each wafting aria
And cherish every bit
What are those sparkling specks?
Perhaps some pixie dust laced in it
Now, making it a stranger place,
My lips start tingling ten seconds after each taste
Is this what life is
So jam–packed with goodness
that each tiny sliver is a world of foolishness?
The timeless moment drags on
Confound it; I can’t finish this song
I’m too full —
Not another bite —
Please wrap it up and goodnight