The Relevance of Each Tale

Once, she was late for work.
She’d been to the dentist
On her lunch break and had

A surprise cavity
Drilled and filled on the spot,
But now, her mouth still numb,

She was late getting back
And she had a meeting
First thing that afternoon

She was supposed to lead.
Even worse, she got stuck
In traffic. Disaster,

Major embarrassment,
At least, awaited her.
But she got there, though late,

And mumbled through, joking
Self-deprecatingly
About the novocaine,

And got a few laughs, and
That was that. She thinks now
About that day sometimes

When she’s running behind
Or skipping out on some
Responsibility.

Does anyone recall
That meeting, besides her,
Or what it was about?

She had regaled her best
Friend about her bad day
For sympathy that night

Over beers, in a bar
Now boarded up. Her friend
Died fifteen years ago.