Strawberry Cheesecake Poem by Samuel Thor

The restaurant bustles noisily
with the sound of chattered conversation.
He stares at the back
of the empty booth across from him,
observing the intricate shapes and designs
in the colourful fabric.
Green, maroon, navy.

The mouth-watering smell of barbeque sauce
combines with the strong scent of spaghetti.
This restaurant has wonderful spaghetti.
His stomach rumbles.

The vibrant painting of tropic birds stares
at him from the wall opposite his booth.
The yellow glow of the restaurant’s
dim lights cast shadows across
the bright canvass;
the light makes them lifelike.
Gold, azure, turquoise.

He is usually very patient; though
it had been a long while since
he had been to the restaurant.
He missed the luscious taste of the cheesecake.

The unceasing chattering surrounds
him as begins to rub his bare toes
on the coarse carpet beneath him.
Patterns begin to appear, circles and swirls,
in the sea of carpet beneath him; each tiny,
coloured thread pushing his feet towards another.
Auburn, brown, crimson.

The waitress places the food on
the table in front of him, he hadn’t
heard her sneak up on him. His stomach
contracts as the scent fills his lungs.

Strawberry Cheesecake, so beautiful;
she sits across from him, a beaming smile
on her charming face, so beautiful.
He picks up his fork as he dives into a deep conversation
with the lovely waitress. He pauses to answer
a question and taste a mouthful of the beautiful cake.
Creamy, sweet, delicate.

It was more than worth the wait,
as good things usually are.
He continues to converse with the waitress,
content, for the first time in a long time.