For six months
whenever I can
I have taken the same booth
with a view of the back corner
so I can see you, Alexandra,
plates in hand
delivering delicacies straight from the kitchen.

The uniform
pinky polyester
cannot disguise your form nor grace
any more than your professionalism
can hide your charm
or beauty.
Being friendly to all
shows how much you care
for the world.

I think you might have grown to like me
over these tortured months of small talk
while I try to wend my way
ever closer to your heart.
You already treat me so well
and if you ever give me a chance
I would very much wish to offer you
a big tip
and the rest of it, too.

I may love you, Alexandra
or Alex or Al
or whatever name
you feel to be yours
in your heart.
I am partial to L
as it also stands for so much
of what I feel for you:
Love
Lust
and the knight’s shape that separates you from me
from my place in the booth
to your place in the kitchen.