Salad Days
a quiet corner
in an empty cafe
a spot with no view
of the tv’s
each turned to different sport
soccer baseball golf
all silent
cafe music non-intrusive
then
she was seated
at the table behind me
the back of her chair
bumped mine as she sat
with all the other empty tables
she sniffed
as if to say
it was my fault
she had to squeeze in
I pulled my chair
a little closer to the table
my salad served
her cell burbles
she answers
a loud personal conversation
that I don’t need to hear
I take my salad
move to another table
‘sorry some asshole just
shoved my chair’
she said into her phone
for all to hear
this is a true incident
would I have felt as I did
if it was a good looking guy
should I not recount it at all
would I have felt as I did
if she apologized
if she had said
‘Can I have a more private table.’
if she had not talked so loudly on her cell
am I a control freak
for not wanting to be distracted
for wanting to eat in peace
after all
I was in a public space
I have no rights
can I recount this
without sounding
like a misogynist
was she pretty
I didn’t look
was she young
I didn’t look
was she trans
I didn’t look
to look would be to engage
all I wanted to engage with
was my salad
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TOpoet 