The bloke and his auntie are not eating
the gherkins next to their burgers and
I have never felt more lonely. Two mums
are discussing how their children have cried
every morning for two years going to nursery.
The owner of this eatery is brushing his teeth
behind the bar with his arm around his wife.
I can see two runners out the window
wearing denim shorts. Two blokes refused milk
and asked for five sugars in their tea.
The pair of gherkins are doing what they can
to convince me it wouldn’t be weird
if I just leant over and asked if I could eat them.

© Carl Burkitt 2023