Vicki

(your-illfitting-overcoat.blogspot.com)

Vicki ©
By Lady J

5.19.09

This room is filled with acres of noise

The door hits me with it's ring a ding bell before it hits me with it's slam

I find a brown broken booth that has seated more than many

Silverware drops and pencils balance behind the ears of mother figure waitresses

Name tags are condescending and fashion themselves in fake friendliness

Vicki greets me with sparks and I can tell by her husky voice that she is more outgoing and confident than I will ever be

It is as she is taking my order that I am certain she has taken in more stories,
more complaints,
more demands more,
more opinions,
more humorless jokes,
more come ons,
more dirt,
more beauty,
more novelty than I can imagine in one sitting

After this realization I feel guilty as she winks and calls me honey.
Guilty as she brings me egg and toast.
Guilty as I ask her to bring me decaf not regular.
And guilty as I realize how condescending my guilt is.

She is not defined by the age I notice, nor is she limited to diner wisdom.
She is more than any bouquet of words I could put together.
She is not packaged up by the memories I have of her when I was a child.
And she is more present than my eyes can insist upon.

She brings me coffee
She brings me smiles and warmth
She brings me acceptance because she's seen it all

All walks of life and death have shuffled its way inside this room

This room that rarely asks for silence but strives on acres of noise

All I can think of is...
I gotta get out of here..

She is marveling at how I've grown up and I have learned my lesson

I have found my spine
It wasn't in my back

I was looking in the wrong place all along

As I get up to leave I can hear the voice of an old friend

She tells me "you can never take things at face value!"

I know.......

I cant.