in which I am
bartending or serving tables,
always in the weeds.
but if you've ever waited tables,
you know the dreams can persist
years after you've stopped serving dishes.
like I’ve forgotten the extra horseradish
that the guest requested,
and small mistakes that snowball.
Suddenly there are a lot of guests coming in,
the tension became too much,
my eyes shot open, I sat up,
feeling stressed, anxious.
I was spending a few hours This happens often,
and sometimes certain people are there,
from certain establishments,
certain established times in my life.
in the Chicago O’Hare Airport in between flights
and got a bite to eat at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant there,
watching the servers buzz around gave me PTSD.