One Empty Chair | Teen Ink

One Empty Chair

December 15, 2023
By KyleMcNeil GOLD, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
KyleMcNeil GOLD, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
14 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Two glasses of water, two menus, and two chairs.

One impatient waiter, and as of now, only me.

The light breeze flowing through the alley messes my nice hair.


But I am not worried.  I am happy.  My heart beats in my ears as

I think to myself.  What if she truly is the one?

I tense my clammy hands under the table.


After 13 sips of water, I check the time.  It is 6:30. Maybe she’s just late.

I sit, waiting in my nice shoes, best button-down shirt, 

and the bow tie my dad gave me when I graduated.


The smile I saw in the mirror while getting dressed had since faded.

The waiter once again approaches the table and asks,

“Are you still waiting on someone?”


I respond, “No, I don’t think so, sorry.”

I take the napkin off my lap and stand up from the table.

I walk away from the patio and into the night.


I gaze up and observe the pairs of stars dancing together

with bliss and radiance, and think,

Why is it so hard for me?


The author's comments:

A poem analyzing Cafe Terrace at Night


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