“HOW WAS YOUR TRIP?”
“WHAT?”
“HOW’S THE FAMILY?”
“CAN’T HEAR YOU.”
“HOW’S YOUR OVEN-FIRED PSFFFF?”
“GREAT! HOW’S YOUR CWTCH?”

We’re at a trendy restaurant.

The latest in upscale Industrial Rustic

High ceilings
Concrete, tile, and metal surfaces
(Napkins, the only shred of texture)
Loud music
Each and every sound bouncing, echoing,
and reverberating like dozens of ball bearings
in a pin ball machine,

Producing an acoustical din of such high volume,
such extreme decibels that

Drinking glasses spontaneously shatter
Servers wear industrial-strength ear plugs
Neighboring dogs howl

And

All conversation is rendered hopeless.