Ashtrays out

My first job
Royal Fork Buffet
1977
Cleaned and set up the tables
All the same way
Some strange billiard game...
Sugar shaker first, pepper on right, salt on left
And the glass ashtray inbetween...
I still remember
Stacking about thirty dirty ashtrays on a rack
Hosing them down before sending them through the dishwasher
And now I wonder...
Are there still places like that?
I miss the glass ashtrays
Even though I don't smoke
Some bygone era...

The ashtrays were out
Some winked glass wondering what to do
Feeling like some head shop accessory...
They look yearningly
At empty beer cans
Caressing hot ash butts
Winked glass wondering waiting
Some butting return
When smoking parties were fashionable
Winked glass
Looking yearningly
No ifs ands or butts
Re-fashioning death
Some bygone era
Some prodigal son.

Denis Streeter 8/19/11