...Taking Grace...

At the table next to mine,

two young men

have just dipped their heads

to say a prayer 

to their god.

Young urban professionals

bedecked with white shirts and dark ties,

they've paused to give grace for those 

paper wrapped parcels

of fast food sustenance

which lie before them

on plastic trays of 

equal matching color.

They are devout.

Only moments ago,

they were standing behind me in line,

spouting young urban 

professional mantras:

The horrors of liberal government.

The evil existence of taxes.

Moving closer to the counter,

one young man raises his voice

to put forth an epiphany 

that is meant to be heard

by all XY chromosome carriers 

in the immediate vicinity.

Quote: "Ya know,

I wish I had some black hole 

I could put money in

so my old lady couldn't 

get her hands on it."

His friend dittos agreement 

with a testosterone laden high-five

and resounding emission of, 

"Absolutely!"

And here moments later…   devout.

I see them over at the adjacent table 

with heads bowed and I 

wonder from what fountain 

their sense of morality springs.

I'm afraid this epiphany 

would be lost on them,

so I do my mental shrug

and return to my own meal.

There to my left,

two young men 

raise their heads,

tear away the paper 

before them

and therewith 

devour the world.

Ó2000 Jack David Hubbell