the jester

The Jester
I was eating a roast beef sandwich with fried onions
when I looked up and saw a woman beautiful with
eyes green as the Irish Sea smiling, at me.

Not possible, why should she? I sat with my back to
a wall and a painting hang there, perhaps her
smile was at the picture.

I smiled too but avoided looking directly at her, more
like I was remembering something pleasant, and
began eating my sandwich, thought the meat a bit raw.

They hung him on the cross so we could eat more meat,
and millions of animals are sacrificed every year… I spun
a carpet of broken thoughts between me and her.
     
Finally I looked up, she was gone, a fata Morgana, she
was a memory momentarily coming alive. I turned
looked at the painting behind me it was that of a clown.