Janet McCann

Thank You, But Let’s Meet Earlier

Breakfast would be better

than lunch–no Scotch,

no wary posturing,

and the morning opening over the plates

in lemon light

and the waitress content, pouring, because

she’s dropped her children at school

and her feet don’t hurt yet,

coffee fresh and dark

and around the third cup we find

we’ve left our files in the car, oh well—

the plates are white again

but for a few crumbs, a smear of egg–

business, maybe, next time.

Janet McCann, an old Texas poet who has been teaching at Texas A&M since 1968.