Mary McCue leaned into the shopping cart
for a romance novel
and the fat on her arms jiggled
with forty years of loneliness
squashing the three hundred pounds
against her heart.
Just then Huey called out “Mash ready”
and I heaved the triple portion of potatoes to Mary
who handed me a dollar for Huey
all she could manage at the end of the month
until the Welfare check showed up
yet she needed bulk for her belly
thus the heavenly starch.
Before she dug in
Mary poured a half cup of sugar onto her feast.
“I can’t afford cake, Bernstein, ” she said
as I stared, though not wanting to.
Just then Candy, Sugar, and Jasmine
strolled in, the night now formerly finished
with the presence of the local ladies.
Mary watched
their gorgeous and graceful forms
float to the table.
Pockets stuffed with cash
they ordered bacon, eggs, homefries, toast,
pancakes, apple pie, coffee, and orange juice
to show they could
but never consumed the entire fare
and when finished
placed the nearly full plates
before Mary
who smiled
eyes alive with adoration
the gift of dreams.
Charles Chaim Wax
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/angels-of-the-night/
