Lake

I am picking
Up some BBQ
At a local lake place
When I notice a hand
Painted faded sign of a
Glass of pale beer with the
Motto “Because your friends
Just aren’t that interesting!”
East Texas Piney Woods
Humor is almost always
Self-deprecating like
The poster of a lake
Cruise on a paddle
Wheeler urging a
Lake voyage to
See the pine
Trees turn
Autumn
Colors
From
Green to
Green which
Might almost be
Taken seriously by
Some uptight tourist
Unused to the relaxed
Pace of lake time in an
East Texas Piney
Woods BBQ
Haven.
The
Young
Woman
Behind the
Counter is in
No hurry as she
Leans forward staring
Me in the eye and ever so
Slowly asks me if I see anything
I’d like all the while letting her
Smile grow bigger and it
Occurs to me business
Must be very slow in
A place where the
Pace of life is not
Frenetic to start
With but beats
To the slow
Rhythm of
Waves up
Against
A pier
Posts
Where
An object
Dropped into
The lake spreads
Circles across eternity
Asking slowly if there is
Anything you think you’d like.
I cannot resist answering
Just as slowly, “Well, ...
How bout a nice
Cold root
Beer?”