The amount of food services work I have done
amounts to almost zero
but I’ve spent a couple hours here and there
working as a dishwasher.

My friend Ruthie worked at the dining commons
at school and when I finished my meals
I would talk to her while she was washing dishes.
Occasionally, when the conversation was taking too long,
I would just cross to the other side of the wall
and join her doing dishes.

There was someone cute sharing shifts with Ruthie
who never said much to me.
She must have been nervous in my presence.

When Ruthie became a manager,
I think she asked me once to work a shift
as a dishwasher, rather than just do
an hour or two for fun.
I won’t say I was glad to do it,
but it was an interesting time.

I got wet.

Most of my work has been a bit higher up the food chain,
so my understanding of restaurant employment
is thus somewhat limited.
Still, I have those precious moments to hold onto
to remember what it was like
all those years ago
and how it was
to wipe the filth away.