In 1993, my wife of 20 years moved out while I was in the field with the military. As I tell it, I came home and found 75% of my furniture and 100% of my wife gone. It wasn't a shock, most of her had been gone for a long time. She was working on her second boy friend (that I know of). It left me in a strange situation, however. After having been faithful, at least physically, for two decades, it was now okay for me to look at other women. What I rapidly discovered was that they were either taken, shaken, or way too young.

As a bachelor, I ate a lot of meals at a local restaurant in Copperas Cove, Texas. I revived an old hobby, that of observing people and writing poems while waiting for my food, and even while eating. I found many of the waitresses to be attractive (and too young), and I found my 48 year old hormones in an uproar. Hence, several poems got written to or about these waitresses...although they never knew.

So, if you know a lady named Carmen who worked as a waitress at the Kettle in Copperas Cove, Texas in 1993, tell her there's a poem about her on the internet.

Update 03/04/2007: Believe it or not, I have moved back to the Copperas Cove area, and have eaten at that restaurant several times recently. I haven't seen Carmen, but it's just as well. She would be twelve years older, and I try not to get involved with older women! Hell, I'm married! I better not get involved with ANY women. Notice how I forgot to mention that I'm twelve years older too?