Order up!
service with a smile?
"Order up!"
Wait, how'd I get here?
When did I put an apron–
"Order up!"
Woah, that tray came out of nowhere,
And it's filled with half cold meat!
The drinks are flat,
The coffee's burnt.
"Order up!"
Faces fill up every seat.
More keep flooding in with speed.
The midnight special
Is 86'd. I'm in the weeds! I'm in the weeds!
"ORDER UP!"
"Shut up, shut up, shut uuuuuppp!"
My voice squeaks out like a high-pitched Chandler.
The room is hopping, alcohol is slopping,
The bartender can't keep up.
Is it all of a sudden hot in here?
The windows are all bolted shut.
I need to leave, a quick reprieve,
Just a breath of fresh air and roll up my sleeves–
"Order up!"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'll be right back with your pasta and clams!"
I'm in the weeds!
A frantic glance at the clock on the wall
Shows time is standing still,
It's not moving at all.
I burst through the doors,
Swinging furiously behind me,
"Where's the food? The soda? The bread?"
Blurred faces stare blankly,
No answers. I think the cook might be dead!
He's slumped in the corner with a bump on his head.
Back through the doors,
Swinging and slamming.
The Joes at the bar are all laughing
And yelling at money they've gained
Betting on tracks and fast horses.
They get in my way as I'm crossing the floor,
Bumping and spilling the glass with my two-finger pour.
"Order up!"
Noooo, I thought he was really quite gone,
I wanna quit, I wanna move on.
All at once, the bodies start moving and leaving
"So sorry, we've forgotten our money,"
They say, as if they're not thieving.
"We can't tip you, you ninny!
You burnt all our toast
And put salt in our coffee
And forgot the main roast."
"Order u–"
Beep,
Beep,
Beep,
Beep
Oh thank goodness, the alarm saves the day!
I no longer have the apron and tray.
What a relief that dream has finally ended–
"Hey mom, can you bring me some breakfast?"
Sigh.
It's reality too–how splendid.
___________________________________________________
Written for the Full Moon dream challenge.
Author's note: When I was much younger, I waitressed for close to a decade both part-time and full-time. I had these types of vivid serving dreams for many years after I'd left the industry.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Keep reading
More stories from Heather Hubler and writers in Poets and other communities.
Disarmament
They say there's no atheism in the foxhole. While I wasn't currently neck-deep in a river of soft sediment, I was still praying to whoever would listen. Why am I doing this again? I would ponder while staring at the device that in no less than a minute could be my undoing. I scanned each and every variable panel and commonplace button as I watched the bright red L.E.D ticker countdown. No wires to cut, no code to put in, there was only one way to stop this infernal machine, and that incurred perfect timing.
By James U. Rizzi3 days ago in Fiction
Comments (12)
Anyone who has worked in the service industry can relate. LOL
Typical dream of high stress jobs! Many people will relate to this in the same way I can--not about waitressing ( is that a sexist word now?). Mine are centered on teaching--bulletin boards not done, forgetting to teach Math all year, not reading the textbook, thinking I should retire...and waking up.. grateful to have left it all behind! Great job!
Great poem, smiles all the way.
very fun
Full moon indeed :)
I was a Chef for 8 years Heather. I've watched that poor individual out on the floor and may or may not have convinced her to fall in love with me lol. p.s: She also loved this piece!
Lol, and Ugh!!! I remember those days and the dreams that came with them. Thanks for sharing. Definitely hearted this one.
This comment has been deleted
Oof, thank goodness it was just a dream. I too still have nightmares about my previous job. I guess we all have PTSD, lol!
This was so fun! I can never think outside the box like this, yet it seems this is the content that draws people in. Maybe I need to be your understudy? lol
Great performance! 🥰Heather Could I have two eggs over easy please? 😂
Oh my. The stress. Very well done.
What a dream !!!! I like so much the poem!