Value Time

Once at the Steel Trolley Diner in Lisbon,
Honesty took a booth, menu in hand.
Enter deceit with a Cheshire cat smile;
sat next to Honesty since it was planned.

Honesty squirmed as he loosened his ascot;
Deceit doffed his cap, revealing burned pate.
Honesty sipped water, stared out the window;
therein Deceit realized he was late.

Honesty raised his hand, saw it was shaking;
he felt some butterflies swarm ‘round his heart.
Then as he sized Deceit’s arrogant mien,
he knew the two of them were far apart.

Waitress with blonde ponytail took the orders;
awkward the wait for the burgers with cheese.
As Honesty squirmed in the booth for relief,
he cleared his throat and he stifled a sneeze.

A red Coca-Cola clock on the back wall;
silver-capped stools in the diner so quaint.
Therein as Deceit lipped the waitress with schmooze,
Honesty thought of a knob with wet paint.

Deceit paid the bill with counterfeit money;
Honesty’s tip was at twenty percent.
One values light when exposed to the darkness;
thus Honesty knew the time was well spent.


24 Lines
Writer’s Cramp
7-18-20