“Me gustaria reservado para…?”

“Hoy.”

“Hoy, si”

The server is kind to my broken Spanish
here at The Sensai
Everyone at our table is Canadian
We’re the only Quebecers
It’s a Punta Cana mosaic
a gathering of unlikely cultures –
or a bad joke
as bad as my tan
At least I know the sun is real
Everything else is a stage set
for the Canadian extras
who play “on vacation”
I don’t feel bad when I ask for more wine
I like this manufactured paradise
I like pretending it’s not snowing in Quebec City