Alone in the Water

By Danielle Nogales

It’s Sunday morning
and the church crowd enters
through the front doors
on a mission to order
the ten dollar lunch combo. 

But it’s Sunday
and the deal is only offered
Monday thru Friday.
Everyone is upset
when I tell them this. 

I’m the only waitress 
opening the restaurant
at least for the first half hour. 

It doesn’t seem too long,
but I feel like a lone fish
stranded in unfamiliar territory.

It’s like I’m lost
beneath the surface
clinging to coral reef
for safety, afraid 
to leave the sea. 

Danielle Nogales is a poet from Stafford, Virginia, who writes about emotionally rich experiences from her own personal life. She holds a BA in English with a concentration in writing from Christopher Newport University. Currently, she teaches English and Creative Writing at the middle school level. Her work was featured in LitBreak Magazine and Words & Whispers Literary Journal.