the man in front of me at the cafe –
he just asked for brown sauce
and the teenager behind the counter
gave him five sachets of brown sauce
and he had the confidence to say
I’ll only need two brown sauces, thanks,
and handed three brown sauces back. He didn’t
quietly accept five brown sauces and
awkwardly throw three brown sauces away
after only eating two brown sauces
wishing he was a better person. I bet he has
his financial documents in plastic wallets
and lays his clothes out for the next day.

© Carl Burkitt 2023