Analysis of Eating Alone

Eating alone puts me in
a self-conscious mood,
every bite I take, every spill I make,
feeling hundreds of eyes staring
at my attempts to appear as if
my unaccompanied dining event
is a once-in-a-while circumstance;
reading the newspaper provides a
fortress for my lonely feelings,
occasionally, I peek from behind
the printed wall and watch other
diners who share intimate glances,
laughter and coupleness.