This Seat Occupied (Poem)

George Tooker, Lunch*, 1964

Egg Tempera on Gesso Panel

Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio

Museum Purchase, Derby Fund

From Philip J. Suzanne Schiller Collection

 of American Social Contemporary Art, 1930-1970

This Seat Occupied

Some would give up
        their daily bread

for a better cup
        of joe, space closer

to the door, where you
        can make for the exit

at the tug of the whistle
        that sounds as bright

as that shiny steel column
        you have to move

around to be able to see
        who's eating, who's not.

Be careful about lifting
        your head too high,

and never, ever let them
        catch you counting

who's using her right hand,
        who's just sipping slow,

easy-like. There's no room
        here for begging to differ,

nobody's going to let his hair
        down or wear a pink shirt

and, hey, lady, get used to it: men
        rule! You don't want to

stand out, make noise when
        your thirty minutes are up,

and the guy you've always wanted
        to meet steps forward

to ask, this seat occupied?

© 2011 Maureen E. Doallas
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This poem is my response to today's photographic prompt (see image above) at Magpie Tales. Join in by writing your own poem or flash fiction, using as inspiration the photo provided, then go here to add your link and read the other participants' contributions.

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* Tooker's Lunch subtly calls to mind the lunch-counter sit-ins and race discrimination protests of the 1960s. Note the body language, who stands out, the social commentary implied by the white bread-eating diners.