Lou’s Hamburger and Fries

Over chilled mugs of malt chocolate shakes,
hearts sparked as their straws touched in
the ice cream drink, and the idea of shared
mouth fluids melting together at the bottom
of the glass brought beads of sweat to drop
on the red polyester booths, torn with time
after time of locals sitting and falling in love
over over-salted French fries, a sloppy mush-
room swiss, cooked “as rare as you go Lou,”
cause I’m a real man, and this blood shows
my love, and for my little lady, a house salad.