Gabrielle Gassin

The seat was empty

And then it wasn’t

He sat without appearing to sit

His order taken with no sign

Of a person having taken it

The wait for food

Unnoticeable

The bright light of a blue screen discernible even in the middle of the day

And how is it this,

More luminescent than the one true source of light

And he’s disconnected

From the sound around him,

From everything

But plugged in to some other world

And he’s able only to look away

Briefly

Pinching glances at the food

Having appeared on the table

And his glasses are thick,

Aquarium quality

But what is he hiding behind

Apart from

Everything