"Hello"

i am eating alone
in a small restaurant
in a small texas town
they serve
only organic food

there is a man
at a table
near me
who looks old
for his years
he is reading
his eye glasses
are like coke bottles
how can he see
i wonder

he is drinking
a glass of fresh
vegetable juice
i have one as well

is he here
to try
to eat well
to repair damage
from years of abuse

his thin weathered face
has a story
hiding in
the deep lines
at the edge
of his eyes

but perhaps
his best story
is in the smile lines
at the corner
of his mouth

i wonder if
he would tell
me
his story
if i said hello