Bad Poem Contest - For Tom

Tom would sit inclined toward me like an animal at the dinner table when they think you are about to throw them a scrap from your plate.

I would chat on endlessly holding one-sided conversations designed to fill the uncomfortable silences left by Tom's one word answers.

Please I begged"Tell me about your family" using one of the questions Cosmo had assured me would endear me to men for my listening skills.

Tom said
"Well, when my father left us my mother only had a part time job that didn't pay well dusting picture frames in an art gallery, so since we didn't have much money and we couldn't afford to pay for the dog's food we had to have him put to sleep.

It was silent.

I looked down,
and I realized my plate was empty.