we all have something

i have to tell you something,

she says,

over cocktails

in the outdoor covid tent

beside

the boarded up restaurant

burned down

in the peaceful riots.

what?

i ask her. pulling my mask

down to take

a sip of my drink.

i have restless leg syndrome,

she says.

i thought i should tell you

now before we go any

further.

you mean the jimmy leg?

i ask her.

ummm. yes. i think that's

the non medical term for it.

the table starts to jiggle

and i look under it to see her

foot kicking the leg of the table,

and chair. if it was in a tub

of milk, we'd have butter

in about an hour.

it's okay, i tell her, we all

have something.