Is the corned beef lean or fatty,
I asked the waiter.
Just the way you like it,
He said without pause.
Ever seen me before?
You?
Never, he said.
Then how do you know how I like it?
I have, he said, a waiter’s intuition.
So how’s the corned beef gonna be?
Well, it’s gonna be slightly marbled,
So it’s not too dry,
But with all the fat trimmed around the edges.
Of course, that’s lean
And it’s a buck more.
But um, he said,
Kissing the tips of his fingers…
Perfect.
On rye,
I said.
No seeds, right?
How’d you know?
I told you…waiter’s intuition.