This lovely man
retired hand surgeon
husband and father
who dotes on his two daughters
so we speak of them awhile
their schooling and their work
and I can't help but wonder
just a bit why neither
of the two is married
or has children
but of this
not a word escapes my lips
mostly we talk
of books we're reading
recent movies
things we share
though he knows more
than I of actors
actresses and films
we used to try
conversing in Italian
now we stick to English
and imagine travelling
perhaps together
in the south of Italy
meanwhile the food
has come and we forget
if only for an hour
the pandemic and
the need to wear a mask
but it's the seeming normalcy
of this busy restaurant
that strikes us both
as something strange
almost unnerving
although early on
we shared our thoughts
about the risk we might be taking
we agreed that it was slight
and so are happy in the end
to order coffee and dessert
to take our time
since our wives are out of town
and both of us are heading
back to empty homes
all the more reason
to enjoy a meal with such a friend