They are the ones
who simply ask how you are
and you kindly answer
and little do you know
the ensuing danger.

The ones who ask questions
about everything.

If it's not about the food
it's about your life.

I wait tables.

I didn't dream this
and I finally made it
to the big leagues
waiting on people.

Perhaps
my aspirations failed miserably
and all you are doing
is reminding my misery.

Some days are hard to work
because of interested people,
like Mother's Day.

One of the first
after my mom passed
I had a table
who kindly asked
what I got my mom
for the day.
I simply answered
that I visited her.
I calmly answered
another question
using the past tense
on purpose
to give her the hint
and as her daughter picked up
on what I was saying
without being blatant
she tried to tell her mom
to let it go
but the third question
was my breaking point
and the answer
basically left no doubt
as I calmly excused myself
and needed to regather my thoughts
and emotions in the bus station.

Some questions
are quite hard to answer.

Then there are the people who
want every ingredient
of 20 items
and then order what
they wanted originally anyway.

Another amount of time
I'll never get back.

The people who disagree
with the answers supplied.

"No, no, no
you have that
I know it.
I've been here
thousands of times."

The people who ask
for steak sauce
by name
of a competitor.

Do you have any idea
where you are?

People are never short
of questions
or opinions

though plenty short
of steadfast listening.

02/18/2009

Posted on 02/19/2009
Copyright © 2025 Jeffrey Parren