Bouillon Chartier, Grands Boulevards

He is all circles:

round nose, smooth chin,

apple cheeks, curved belly

a hearing aid curled round

the back of his ear, a lisp

to smooth the clipping

 of consontants.

"I've been coming here for 40 years."

To listen,

                   the reverb of clinking metalware

                                                                          the clattering and chit chat of this 

revolving door

To eat,

              the blue ink writing,

                                              scrawlings on the table cloth           Patriotic,

 gold and unrefurbished, this bill of fare.

To meet us, three more

solo diners, make a quad

"At 22.30 they'll close off that section there."

"You know back in the day, the tables were round. Not square."

He gave me his business card and he owns four crèpe shops in the city.

Yesterday he saw Phantom of the Opera.

Tomorrow I take the train due South to Valence.

Et le service est continu jusqu'à minuit.