enter the dragon

tonight
tonight we meet in front
of my childhood fantasy chinese restaurant

everything is red and gold
the nearby shops are black and white deco

i feel better today
i had a good day off
and i feel a childlike excitement to show you
[because i have been celebrating chanukah mostly
with vegetarian eggrolls and sweet and sour shrimp]
this lotus bijou

we walk through the doors into a small entry
glass counter filled with shining almonds atop cookies
the case is lit
the backdrop dark
and then we are led through to the magic
the walkway constricted by babbling waters
running with koi
[goldfish, more likely but the mind edits]
the effect
is like walking across one of those layering bridges
i imagine the breeze
the swirling leaves

to the right
a small cinn-a-bar room
mai tai
singapore sling
other exotic elixirs i am now old enough to consume

i spin myself into a silken qipao
i lick my red lips and click my talons

i am inscrutable

i spin again
and clap my hands together and laugh

look, i say
and i point to the dragon
enormous
gilded
circling around itself

you smile, now
i have charmed you
you
take my hand
spin me in
look me in the eyes

you
are not inscrutable, but
you say nothing

and
we are led to our table