I returned to working at Lashonda’s House
And had the shift on Thursday evenings
One night after I left the house at 10:45
I went to the grocery to pick up a few things
As I was looking over the romaine lettuce
A shiver shot through me
I looked up and a drop-dead gorgeous young woman
Was staring at me and walking toward me
“You’re the professor who wrote Stature and Terror”
I prepared myself for imminent vitriol
“Where did you hear of such a thing?”
“You’re the author, right?”
“One and the same”
“Hi, I’m Jessica Balaban, and I want to thank you for what you wrote”
“You actually read it?”
She shifted her weight to her left leg, arms crossed: “Seriously?
I read every word
Got in a fight with my parents about it”
“You’re very kind…”
“Really, I want to thank you
Are you busy right now?”
I looked around saying
“I’m just here with the produce”
“Would you have time for a drink?
I don’t live far from here
We could talk more about your book”
Something in her tone triggered a memory
Of when Carla told me
How she’d been walking around East Jerusalem
And passed Mordechai Vanunu near St. George’s
He was talking excitedly to a young Japanese woman
About favorite operas
So I took a deep breath
And said to the über-model in front of me
“It’s been very nice to meet you
Thank you for reading my book
But I have to be going
Call your mother tomorrow
Tell her you met me
And say ‘his book
Is much more interesting
Than he is’”
