Eating alone puts me in a
self-conscious mood,
every bite I take, every spill I make,
feeling hundreds of eyes staring
at my attempt to appear as if
my unaccompanied dining event
is a once-in-a-while circumstance;
reading the newspaper provides a fortress
for my lonely feelings;
occasionally, I peek from behind the
printed wall and watch other diners who
share intimate glances, laughter
and coupleness.