Steak was overcooked
Snap Peas were bland
Soft and undercooked
When I came here before
The service was better too
The lighting reminds me
Of a high school production
Of Dracula, probably modern dress
Four years ago, Marco was here
I would walk in and see him
Smoking a cigarette near the alley
He would look at me with emptiness
The unyielding green of his eyes
Never giving anything away of
What was ticking away behind them
Do you know what happened to him?
One night I saw him back by the alley
I had a fine chardonnay and felt brave
I went to him and he looked at me
This time I could feel something
A heat a promise a need a certainty
Why do you always eat alone
The smoke flowed out of his nostrils
Dancing across his tightly closed lips
I’ve waited for friends but they would
Lie or be late or take a call or go
And I would be left alone for the night
Isn’t that lonely, to be alone
The alley had never seemed
So full of dark, inviting yet terrifying
I took a step towards him
He took a step towards me
I could taste his smoke on my tongue
When I opened my eyes
He had gone
If you can tell me where he went
I will stop showing up here
Did you have an employee named Marco
I just want to taste the promise of that night again.
Poetry Overdose 