I haven’t laid this cloth in a while
As I smooth down the creases
And straighten the edges
My eye catches stains left from previous feasts
And I think about the first time I used this table
I had no clue what I was doing
No linen atop, just bare wood
Oh how I tarnished the polish
By throwing everything out at once
And the legs appeared to be struggling
Under the enormous amount of pressure
However, I’ve had practice since then
I learned to use a tablecloth
And to ease in each dish
I learned you can’t force someone to sit with you
And you must eat alone sometimes
I learned that many people stop before getting too full
And leave the surface scattered in scraps
I wonder if one day I’ll get tired
Of setting places for and cleaning up after
People I can’t trust to stay or show up
As I smooth down the creases
And straighten the edges
I haven’t laid this cloth in a while
SWD 08/2019
Simply beautiful.
I can relate. I am still learning to eat alone. This lesson should’ve been learnt long before now. If I have my way, I will never eat another meal alone. But I know that will never happen.
Thanks for this beutiful piece.
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Beautiful, real and sad. What more can I say? I wish I knew.
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