"I'm Not Really A Waitress"

they were sitting
in the sun
eating papayas
and sharing stories
of girlhoods past.

it soothed her to listen to
her mellowed south african accent
and the way the stories
tumbled out of her memory.

and when the octogenarian started smoothing
the papaya onto her face,
she giggled out loud,
and followed suit.

so there they were
sitting in the sun with papaya coated faces,
merrily debating the benefits of choosing
opi's "i'm not really a waitress"
over "you're such a kabuki queen"
for her next pedicure.

~ from "a book of private conversations," 5 august 2008