The glass case over the cookies looked like
one huge breast
A disproportionately bulbous nipple-handle
atop it
And
When was
I going to turn into that crazy old man
That all around me would find wonderfully
eccentric?
I heard the click clack that
Always makes your head turn
And there she was for the first time in,
well
The devil only knows how many years
But here now
Yet not the same
Someone I knew who’d been once so
Disarming and light of heart and head
Now looked down at her shoes as though the
weight of the room
Was
Too much for her to remain in any one spot
For longer than a few seconds
I stood back and watched as opportunities
passed
Her
By
As she ignored - or pretended to ignore
The smiles and eye contact
There was no fear to her but rather apathy
Then looking up she caught my eye and in an
instant I was lost again
Swimming in what she used to be
What she could have been
(anything anywhere to everyone)
Her head fell back down just as quickly
She stared towards the floor
Shamed by something
A choice she never made
Or one she did
To be removed, distant, steely yet alive
I felt guilty for reminding her of all
those things -
Ordered my coffee and left without a word
Who am I to regret the passing of yet
another good one
One who decided to throw it all in for no
other reason than
The rest of us just aren’t worth the damn
trouble.