Feast of air

He sets the table
             for the holiday
                     he has planned
                                 carefully,
gently laying
           the knives-
                 blades facing inward

of course, there was nothing real
                      about this place setting

in this metaphor

Helping with a tool, utensil, in-kind-ness
He says,
              Busy, I have so much work to do
I do not reply
I do not show I notice
              anticipation,
I know this
                is a holiday
and anyway, he knows this too,
(the closures)
he presses (on) the edge of
bleached napkins
naming each of his clients
He must go
to
to-day
too many

there lie(s)
                   the empty plates
while the water glasses break
a sweat
profusely
dropping rings
at the appointed places
becoming tepid
                  and easier to digest.


Painting by Hendrick Andriessen, Vanitas c. 1630-1640 in [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.