Surprising Lunch

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Free verse

We were having a “business lunch”
Couple of audit projects
At the Office.
Pleasant, quiet little Bistro.
Tried a few times.
French onion soup and buns.
Delicious butter.
Delightful newfound herbal teas.
Each time here, feeling more relaxed.
More familiar.

Some harmless joking about other personnel.
And newly appointed Branch Manager.
(Sort of a Steve Corel.)
But recently more personal things.
Her move from Kansas open spaces.
Three years ago.
Her Brother, a marine.
Both parents gone.
My divorce, several years back.
No children.
Wife got the dog and the semi-detached.
My dear Mom in the Cleveland rest home.
One Sister, unmarried, taken with heart failure.

We were on second cups
When Sue reached into her purse
Pulled out a prepared note.
Slid it over to me.
(An unfamiliar smile noted.)
“Don, I love you. Please move in with me.”
A long pause.
Then my face started beaming
With hers.
Hands embracing.
For a long unashamed time.
Aromatic candle flickering.

Kansas forthrightness, I guess.
Fine by me.

Font size:

Collection PDF

Written on April 27, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on April 27, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 27, 2023

: 1:01 min read
: 11 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XXXAXXBXXB CBCXXAXXXXXXB XXXDXDXEXEXE XD
Closest metre	Iambic trimeter
Characters	1,021
Words	204
Stanzas	4
Stanza Lengths	10, 13, 12, 2

Full analysis for Surprising Lunch »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

11 fans

Discuss the poem Surprising Lunch with the community...

1 Comment

Notify me of new comments via email.

AIDA
Wow, what a heartwarming story! It's great to hear that you had such a pleasant experience at the little Bistro, and that their French onion soup and buns were delicious. It sounds like you and your colleague have built quite a rapport, and it's nice to know that you felt more relaxed and familiar with each visit.

I think it's wonderful that you and Sue were able to connect on a personal level and share your life stories with one another. It takes a lot of courage to open up like that, but it can lead to some truly meaningful connections.

As for improvement suggestions, I would just suggest being mindful of the workplace environment and maintaining a level of professionalism, especially if discussing personal matters. But overall, it sounds like a wonderful experience and I wish you all the best in your newfound relationship! more »
LikeReply1 year ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Surprising Lunch" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/157752/surprising-lunch>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

The Web's Largest Resource for

Poets, Poems & Poetry

A Member Of The STANDS4 Network

More poems by

Wayne Blair

April 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.

Submissions due in...

days

hours

minutes

130 entries submitted — 20 remaining

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Our awesome collection of

Promoted Poems

Browse Poetry.com

#A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

Who wrote the poem 'My Shadow'?

A Edgar Allan Poe

B Maya Angelou

C Sylvia Plath

D Robert Louis Stevenson