First Date – Lek Borja

At the table. Table. Tables.

A half-smile. A frown? Indifference.

First hand. Hands

hold a cold glass. Cold glasses. Warm glasses.

A mutter

In the loud noise

Lips breaking apart, yours

slowly opening for a breath.

Eyes. White as white on walls.

Blink. The corners.

Blink. Left.

Blink again. Right.

Blinking…

The floor.

The ceiling.

Movements–the heavy air nudging you?

Waiter passing with the menu.

The mute menu. Menus.

Mute entrees.

Mute.

Everyone looks on—

Tables, corners, walls, lips, floor, ceiling,
menus, entrees,

Eyes, eyes, eyes—
The Critics.

Lek Borja is an emerging poet and artist living in California. Her poems are in the current issues of Poetic Diversity, Lady Jane’s Miscellany (San Francisco Bay Press), and {m} Magazine, and her wire sculptures can be viewed monthly at a gallery in Hotel Erwin for this year’s Venice Art Crawl in Venice Beach, CA. ]