Her perfectly penciled lipstick
matches the color of the flowers
in the center piece that sits
upon the starched white linen tablecloth
at the restaurant bar
Party banter is in surround sound
Champagne crystal stemware clinks
Silver Lennox service tinks and
“Where did you get that dress”? conversations
strain her ears in the background
And yet, the polite smile on her lips
would have you believe that she is
okay with the vacant chairs beside her
Not wanting to stand out she busily
fills several cocktail napkins
with white wine verbs and espresso nouns
trying to capture the laughter, music,
and ambient light inside the
uncomfortable Cinderella atmosphere
until heading home where
there are no people present to
make her feel so completely alone

Written by Sara Fielder © Dec 2012