When I Arrived At Meng's Restaurant Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

in Coney Island
I spotted Harry Tood and his crew
at my favorite table
near the toilet.
“Who invented the kite? ” he asked.
“Alberto Savinio, ” said Vedder,
“during the summer of 1946 in Milan, Italy.”
“How many different
kinds of goldfish swim the tropic waters? ” asked Harry Tood.
“Exactly 428, ” said Vedder.
“Only 100.”
“I’ll check, ” said Vedder
closing his eyes. “No.
the man who created Heaven and Earth
said there’s 428, no more, no less
that’s the number He created
but He further informed me
as of yet
human beings
have only discovered 100.”
“In the end, ” said Hugo Rupprecht,
“a man discovers
whatever he does
it is certain he must die
at a time hidden from him
fixed in advance
by a power which surpasses him.”
“What’s that mean? ” asked Vedder.
“Sir Francis Drake
ate peanuts with his left hand, ” said Hugo Rupprecht.
“I doubt that, ” said Harry Tood. “I know for a fact
the man was right handed
and preferred pistachio nuts.
So be it, so be it,
how many steps
does the average person
walk each day? ”
“None, ” said Hugo Rupprecht.
“19,000. Try this.
How much do nine pennies weight? ”
“Four pounds seven ounces, ” said Vedder.
“How many seconds in a century? ” continued Harry Tood undeterred.
Vedder looked up toward Heaven
nodded his head
several times
then said, “3,153,600,000.”
“Amazing, ” declared Hugo Rupprecht.
“Why? ” said Vedder,
“God don’t make mistakes.”