January 29, 2015

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS

I’m walking in the city. Wait a minute,

I better add, it’s on the Upper East Side

of New York City. It’s evening. It’s January.

It’s cold. I go by three of four restaurants.

I look in and see young couples encased

in glass - doing inside chatting – she pointing

with a fork – he listening with wine in hand –

both seemingly unaware of any of us,

inches away, passing by on the other side

of the glass. The low lights, the candles,

the bread, the wine, their eyes, their hands,

their knees, their feet touching each other.

I saw all this poetry  all this in one grab

of a glance, and I was all alone,  hungry,

envious and all alone. I wanted to be

on the other side of the glass. Don’t we all –

all of us walking and talking to ourselves on

this cold and empty other side of the glass?
Question:  Were they in there because last year

they were out here walking in the cold all alone?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2015