Private Dining Under a Blouse by Doug Holder

​-For Josh

In the middle of our conversation
and the din
of the large dining room
she lifted her blouse
her baby blindly
grabbing her nipple
With his mouth,
the blouse covered him
like a shroud
for private dining.

I saw
the infant emerge
sleeping
held in an untroubled
dream.

I sucked on my straw
Flattening the plastic stem
Still awake
And troubled.