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This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book “At the Zoo” Down in the Dirt v210 (8/23) Order the paperback book:

Order this writing in the book On Stones and Bones the 2023 poetry & art collection anthology		get the 182 page poetry & artwork & photography collection anthology as a 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:

The Invisible Waitress
“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.”  —Ralph Ellison

Sterling Warner

Greasy spoon hair pulled in a bun,
strands hanging like fishing line
liberated from sportsmen, fell
on tables while jotting down orders
& serving customers; solemn yet serene,
the waitress sang old Perry Como songs—
foreign music to most who frequented the diner
where she redefined solidarity
& the meaning of loneliness in a room
full of hungry people. Empty. Depressed.
Surviving yet questioning any reason
to live, the waitress stuffed coffee cans
back home with tips, promised herself
a Hawaiian vacation come summer;
an invisible, weathered spirit,
she locked herself in the walk-in freezer
determined her future on the winter solstice,
body curled like a cat on five-pound sacks
of snow peas, sweet corn & string beans...,
handprints, a suicide note,
& her name—Margo Peaks—
etched on the frosty steel door.

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