Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “Fran’s Restaurant” by David Fraser.

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Fran’s Restaurant

By David Fraser

Fran’s Restaurant, Yonge and St. Clair,

early ’50’s me and my grandma

after movies, ruby slippers, that little dog too,

all the waitresses, dressed in pink,

short, white aprons, and black, practical shoes,

who served us banquet burgers,

southern-fried chicken in a basket,

French fries, gravy, that chicken, crispy,

real honey to drip on a drumstick or a wing

and we both licked our lips together,

talked like adults, ordered banana cream pie,

lemon meringue and I remember how

the seats were deep red, and they stood out

against the black and white floor tiles,

and how the coffee came in heavy white cups,

the chocolate shake in an aluminum container,

and I remember the time it took to eat

and drink and talk like grown-ups,

far away from the usual silent conversations,

the click of knives and forks over stewed vegetables

grey-white potatoes on brown-scratched plates

and mystery meats as hard as hockey pucks.

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Copyright © David Fraser

David P. Fraser has lived in the UK, Canada, the United States and Mexico. He now lives on an island in the Pacific. His poetry and short stories have appeared in many journals and anthologies. He has also published six poetry collections but focuses now on writing mystery thrillers featuring Jack McQueen and Stacie Machado.

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