Jury Duty

It helped to think

“Maybe i’ll meet someone”

As i silenced my alarm in the morning dark

After going through security

A man spilled my coffee a little and 

Apologized twice

Maybe i could have been more forgiving?

I asked him a question, have you done this before? an olive branch

Later in a sea of sitting bodies

I studied the man briefly and made my judgements to let him go, dismissed

Not for me

I sat and thought about being “Single at heart” and added some validating titles to my list of books to read

At 11am we are told we are free to go, dismissed

We have fulfilled our civic duty

What a noble waste

With my freedom I drive out to Pho Mekha

Ryan’s favorite

More than a year ago he politely declined my invitations for this or that

I tell the empty seat across the table

I wish the broth wasn’t so sweet