Nicole Yurcaba’s most recent poem to appear here was “Fishing With My Father-in-Law” (January 2018).
Ordering Chinese Food Without You
By Nicole Yurcaba
I forget how to approach
the counter, which dish
is a combination, which
is a take-away with white rice.
I point to item menus,
ask for descriptions
because I forget how spicy
is spicy, how to pronounce
“Szechuan,” whether it’s
beef egg foo young or shrimp
or roast pork you ordered
one month ago, to the day,
but I remember I wore this same
trench coat, you paid in cash
and placed a five-dollar bill
in the tip jar, and we listened
to rain touching the windshield
the entire drive home.
This ode to time’s passage – its haunt, its claw, its balm – is darn good. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful Nicky! Always love reading your work!
Poignant, so descriptive and beautifully written. I can feel the sadness in each line. Well done!