Dinner Conversations

The couples sat at separate tables

Sipping at their drinks waiting their food.

 The man at Table One said,

“George says that sales are down.”

The woman was looking at the walls.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said,

“About the colors in this room.”

At Table Two silence prevailed,

Beyond stating their order not an uttered word.

The man at Table One said,

“There is talk of closing a plant

Or two and cutting staff.”

The woman sipped her wine.

“I like the color of these walls,

We should paint the living room.”

At Table Two the food arrived.

The man and woman there said, “Thank you”.

The man at Table One said,

“If this economy stays down

Much longer, then I think we’re through.”

The woman tapped her chin,

“But then the rugs will never match,

We should buy new carpets too.”

At Table Two there was not a word.

They chewed their food and stared down at their plates.

The woman at Table One said,

“Oh, I hope we never get like that,

It is such a sad thing to see,

People eating out for dinner

Who can’t communicate.”

The man at Table One asked,

“Are you getting desert tonight?”

Illustration: “New York Restaurant” by Edward Hopper