Eating alone puts me in
a self-conscious mood,
every bite I take,
every spill I make,
feeling hundreds of eyes
staring at my attempts to
appear as if my unaccompanied
dining event is a once-in-a-while
circumstance.
Reading the newspaper provides
a fortress for lonely feelings,
occasionally I peek from behind
the printed wall as I watch other
diners who share intimate glances,
laughter and coupleness.
