Prepared and Parcel

Good.
people eat.
snapping fat on
griddlekssssssh
internal organs
iron taste. bowels
urine. sweat. stench
of casing snap
oil clickclackclick
heavy air full air
thick on skin
wipe finger cross forehead
devoured medium rare
rare, blood seeps
on plate mixes gristle
fat tendon boils globs
breaks molds fills arteries
stomach mouth gut
glugglugblubglugglug
yellowed eyes dim
restaurant lights dim
hum of electric nothingness
hmmmmmmhmhmhmhmmmm
empty chairs fragrance of sopping
gravy, baking bread, steamed
vegatables, mixes in almost ready
almost done click of click
and hack

Cesar's New Orleans

Missed the chatter of this place
and my wandering mind
at a table,
lone observer of sunday brunch
dates & after church get-togethers,

am I that singular diner,
that mysterious fool?
sits by himself, aging,
dying--apart from greater
humanity,
sipping coffee in my emptiness?
what could fill my soul?
     when it's all--
          but it's all--
     gone
and two eggs, bacon,
toast, home fries, plate
remain