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A Door-less Refrigerator

by Jeffrey Parren

To many frequent
restaurant patrons

life is
a door-less
refrigerator.

"Pass the potatoes."

"More wine!"

Adding salt
to a steak
crusted with
salt & pepper.

Gluttons
who lick
their chops
and their lips

ingesting all
that is placed
before them.

The tourists
seem engineered
seem born and bred
and beer fed
to multitask:
enjoying the moment
while adding to
the waiter's despair.

Across the board
some are good-natured
while being idiotic
and extremely flawed

others are aggressive
and conceited
not knowing
when their luck
has dried out.

All in the name
of business
for greed's sake
and the American way

people simply
abuse one another
finding
there is always
a bigger fish

and taking out
their own frustrations
on the ones
they think
are smaller.

You never know
what future

EMT, teacher,
lawyer, doctor,
actor, writer,

business-owner,
dream-catcher,
fire-fighting,

President...

has just waited on you.

02/25/2009

Author's Note: What are thoughts on the title?

Posted on 02/25/2009
Copyright © 2024 Jeffrey Parren

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by George Hoerner on 02/25/09 at 02:33 PM

I think there are some really good parts of this write. If you think of the door as something that hides the contents and yet here in front of you the door is open and you watch and see how everyone acts while unguarded in this moment of indulgence. Just keep in mind the poem says as much about the observer as it does the patron.

Posted by Charlie Morgan on 02/25/09 at 02:40 PM

...don't know what george means re: this pome saying about you...i like the concept...titles-smitles, a rose by any other name...yada, yada...i'm not the best titlER...if a title gives toooo much away, peeps won't read and/or buy your chapbook, so mmmm,

Posted by Joan Serratelli on 02/25/09 at 03:03 PM

You have described to perfection the patrons of restaurants in Cape May. They all seem to think that the waiter is their slave and they are demanding, if not downright obnoxious. From what I've heard, the tourists are getting worse. i agree with Charlie about the title- a rose is a rose is a rose. Good write- interesting and thoughtful read.

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