Nighthawks

As a child he dreamed
Of being a knight in shining armor
Slaying dragons and winning
The fairest maiden in the land
Benighted by King Arthur
And assuming his seat at the round table
But of course
That was another time
The days of yore
Those good old days
When we are young
And the world is dubbed
Full of possibility
As is his practice every night

This evening
In the days of now
He chews his ham on rye
Drinks two cups of coffee
After his shift at the factory
Dresses up
His one good suit of wool
For nothing in particular
By habit and wonders
About the couple at the bar
Would he have been
Happily married anyway
Might the woman of his dreams
Come into the café now
Flutter down beside him
And would it be a fairytale
Love at first sight
But for this time
And forever after

Tonight you sit
Perched at the counter
With your solitary self
Alone again and again and again