St. Valentine
amy lauren
Did I mention Valentine’s Day, and
the older waiter who served
my girlfriend and me?
When asked if he could sprinkle
rose petals on our table, like all the others,
he could have widened his eyes
or muttered ugly words
or spat in our food—
remember this was Mississippi—
but he smiled
and peppered rose petals on our table
with his wrinkled hands.
At the end of the night,
he wished us a safe drive home
and God’s blessing.
We could have been anyone to him.
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