the place was set
but no one came
she waited for an hour
and then she ate
pistachio and pumpkin
chestnuts and white truffles
outside the rain
the waitress was kind
and left her to her pain
the other diners
pretended she
was not alone
and smiled at
the lonely woman
sitting by herself
French restaurants in fall
the opera crowd
with season tickets
the sommelier
the taste of taro on her tongue
the bitter root of love denied
coffee and a sweet dessert
she paid the price
outside the rain
they picked me
up and put me
down and told
me I’d be found
the light ahead
was not for me
the sky the moon the stars
they could not see
that I was standing still
I ran and ran and ran in place
to chase them down–these
things I dreamed were
dreamed for someone else
the bitter fruit
the barren tree
the songless bird
were all for me
I wore them well
these dark things
around my neck
until I couldn’t breathe
I will not stay
to see them leave
who reads these
poems cannot
know me I
didn’t bury birds
they buried me
rlmcdermott 