The waitress and the hare ...

I'm sitting in an oak panelled room, dimly lit by two chandeliers -

A waitress wearing a black dress took me to my table - 

A white apron hung from her narrow waist - 

She took my order as though I were sharing a secret - 

I'm one of only a few diners - 

Judge Jeffreys presided over a Bloody Assize in this room - 

I can see his portrait, his face inside a golden frame - 

The waitress returns - 

I wonder how many conversations she's overheard this morning - 

Each confidence would be like a hare, half glimpsed in a silent field -

12.30

Thursday 7 January 2016

The Oak Room Tearoom

Dortchester