the celery talk

the dalai lama
seems sad, your spiritual
friend
lucy tells you.
doesn't he? look at
that long face,
the forced smile.
it's just my observation
of him,
she says, biting
into a stalk of
celery
filled with hummus.
want some, she says,
offering you
a stalk.
get that away
from me, you tell
her.
look at his photo
she says, holding
up her wallet with
his laminated cat
who ate the canary
face. look into
his eyes. he looks
very sad.
I'd be sad too, you
say, if I was him.
he's wearing women's
clothes. sandals
and he has to always
pretend to be good.
do you think he's
pretending?
no, not all the time.
but hey, he's a man
for god's sake.
men have desires and
needs, if you know
what I mean,
and well it's not
like he can go online
and meet someone
in that get up. he is
stuck. he has to be
the freaking dalai
lama twenty four seven.
who can do that and
be happy?
yeah, maybe you're right.
never thought of him
that way.
sure you don't want
some celery?
positive.