Song to A Waitress
... waitress or her life. Waitresses come across people from all walks of life, and grumpy, rude, obnoxious ones are no strangers. Another theme is ‘get the hell away from me’. Which is found a couple of times in the poem. “...And bring it here and put it down and get the hell away from me (line 4)... So fill my big fat mug and get the hell away. (line 13)...” Meaning the man could be having a really bad day and doesn’t want to speak with anyone or he is truly a grumpy and unhappy man and doesn’t want to see her at all, unless he needs her to fill up his big, fat coffee mug. The setting of this poem could take place in an old diner where no one really comes in, except the regulars. A diner in which everyone knows each other’s names and life stories. The occasional truck driver comes through for a meal and some shelter in the rain. It’s the type of diner with an old jukebox in the front of the store and blue and silver vinyl seats and booths. One may even think that it’s staff are people who have worked there since they were teenagers. Even though the way this particular poem is written it could even be told in the third person. It could be that the waitress is retelling this man’s story to a fellow employee. Customer stories are always retold in the kitchen while waiting for food orders to come up or just when there is nothing to do. Although, this could be an option. The first line leads one to believe that it is the man speaking to the waitress. “Yes. I want a big fat cup of coffee...” (line 1) When retelling a story, one usually would leave out the beginning yes...