Eating Alone

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.