Dead Inside

He claims to be dead inside
he yaps about it everyday
today its over coffee
I listen and roll my eyes

he wants me to get it
to really get it,
I tell him "I get it"
he perks up and says "really?"

I smile and say "yeah really"
on he talks about his dead soul
he asks me questions like,
how did I know

"your breath"
he now looks puzzled
with a look of duh on my face I say
"it stinks"

apparently I have offended someone who is dead inside
which really doesn't make sense to me,
I let him get all cocky and defend himself
he got huffy, he made noises like a swan

when he was done and sipping his coffee
I simply said "dead people don't defend themselves
you got angry, someone dead inside would have been more docile
sometimes you got to get angry, to feel alive"

he looked at me over the top of his mug
I saw a smile well more of a smirk
we paid for our coffee, walked around town for a bit
we were saying our goodbyes when he handed me a mint