At the Break Room Sink
his callouses scrub the dirt
from my hands as the water
temperature slowly rises
our forearms cross
fingers lock and unlock
he massages my palm with
his thumb until the water
runs clear
he dries my hands
one at a time with
a loaner walgreens polo
i want him to punctuate
the moment by kissing
the tips of my fingers
but it is not my hands
he is remembering
right now instead
he lays out two
paper plates and
cuts in half
a sandwich
his wife made
this morning
About Jon Tobias
Jon Tobias is an MFA student at San Diego State University. He is the author of the chapbook, Talking to Ghosts, published by Quillkeepers Press. His poems have appeared in anthologies and online with Quillkeepers Press, White Stag Publishing, A Word With You Press, and Kindabummed Magazine.
At the Break Room Sink
his callouses scrub the dirt
from my hands as the water
temperature slowly rises
our forearms cross
fingers lock and unlock
he massages my palm with
his thumb until the water
runs clear
he dries my hands
one at a time with
a loaner walgreens polo
i want him to punctuate
the moment by kissing
the tips of my fingers
but it is not my hands
he is remembering
right now instead
he lays out two
paper plates and
cuts in half
a sandwich
his wife made
this morning
At the Break Room Sink
his callouses scrub the dirt
from my hands as the water
temperature slowly rises
our forearms cross
fingers lock and unlock
he massages my palm with
his thumb until the water
runs clear
he dries my hands
one at a time with
a loaner walgreens polo
i want him to punctuate
the moment by kissing
the tips of my fingers
but it is not my hands
he is remembering
right now instead
he lays out two
paper plates and
cuts in half
a sandwich
his wife made
this morning
About Jon Tobias
Jon Tobias is an MFA student at San Diego State University. He is the author of the chapbook, Talking to Ghosts, published by Quillkeepers Press. His poems have appeared in anthologies and online with Quillkeepers Press, White Stag Publishing, A Word With You Press, and Kindabummed Magazine.
