Repair / Replace

Shoulder to shoulder, the tubes-within-tubes stood

ready to march on a Visigoth encampment,

or to be greedily consumed like so much

Black Dragon Roll, laid on a plain

white plate with a curved edge. We waited, like

others had, weathering the time between

estimate and execution on the hard red plastic

chairs, ripped and fluffed glossies, celebrating

anniversaries next month, intent on hocking

fashions eleven months old, now, so far from

where your cracked tooth made me love every time

something went wrong and you would smile

insouciantly. You spoke so little, I thought

you might be deaf, but how could

that be, if you drove here? If you needed

no interpreter? If you knew when something

had gone awry?

--RFRY, 11 Aug 06

This is v1 of Repair (slash) Replace.