Grandma and the Starlets

They’re starlets Hollywood
has yet to discover, two nice
young ladies who assemble
sandwiches at the Subway Shop
Monday through Friday at noon.
Workingmen come to see them
and the manager likes that.

Herb doesn’t like the noon crowd
so he arrives early in the morning
and takes a sandwich to work.
Grandma waits on him and her
sandwiches are bigger than any
the young ladies have made for him,
more meat, cheese and veggies.

Grandma waits on Herb
three days a week and offers
no small talk unlike the young ladies.
She just asks if he wants chips with that.
He has never said yes.

One day Herb pays his tab and
tells Grandma her sandwiches
are so good she should be at
the counter making them at noon.
Grandma hasn’t shut up since.
Now Herb’s sandwiches are
missiles ready for launch,
not something for lunch.

Donal Mahoney, nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction published in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found by clicking here…