Bon Appetit

When I wrote the poem below, which is published in my book, Light the Way, I was thinking about having lunch with three friends I had met in a writing class several years ago. Once a week we had gotten together at a restaurant downtown. We talked about many things, writing projects, our families, and current events. Eventually, because circumstances change, we all went our separate ways.

Not long after I was out shopping and ran into Patsy Taylor. I recognized her from another writing class, and she asked me if I’d like to join her writer’s critique group. I liked the idea. There were five of us. We met once a week at Patsy’s home and although our members changed a few times, four of us developed a lasting bond of friendship that still remains today.

This past year was a tough one for our group. Members moved away, had life-changing health issues, or decided to put their writing on a back burner, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my writer pals. I suggested the four of us meet once a month for lunch. Each time we pick a new restaurant in town. We still talk about writing, but there are other ways in which we support and encourage each other. Bon Appetit!

When we go to Lunch

We shall all wear hats
and long floral skirts in the garden
We’ll sip lavender tea and sparkling wine
and agree to surrender our burdens 

When we go to lunch we shall trust that our hats
hold most of our secrets within
We’ll eat all our words from silver spoons
and tighten silk bows at our chins

All of our hats shall have a wide brim
to protect the aging of skin
All of our hats shall shadow raised brows
from the gossip we revel in

When we go to lunch we shall try other hats
stylish or garish or sweet
When we go to lunch we shall dare all our hats
to flee when we sit down to eat