Crumb Sympathy - April 18, 2026

somewhere above all the tables’ umbrellas,

linked in an understory of fabric

below the canopy of a pair

of giant bougainvillea

within the confusion

of their twisted woody vines

and mingling with the sounds

of silverware rudely bumping

ceramic plates, patron chatter

and music chosen for mastication,

I hear the noisiest bickering of sparrows,

diving for crumbs or anticipating

crumb sympathy

meaning

at least one family is delighted

they came here for breakfast