A Safe Distance

I recall the first time you caught me dining alone
At a restaurant on the third floor
You sat down across from me with a bottle of wine
Shook my hand and started to pour
Then opened the window to the music below
A theater under the stars
We shared our life stories and a view of the stage
Falling in love from afar

Though it feels like they've played out
The same act a million times
A routine struggling just to keep
From falling asleep reciting their lines
You say this is the way we're meant
To enjoy the opera
At a safe distance

We've met at this table now ten years in a row
To see the same opera performed
Recreating the scene down to the slightest detail
The night our tradition was born
Attendance is low but still the show must go on
The participants gossip offstage
The waiter assures us that the wine is the same
I guess it gets bitter with age

Though it feels like we've played out
The same act a million times
A routine struggling just to keep
From falling asleep reciting our lines
Still it makes me happy
I love you at a safe distance
I'll always love you at a safe distance.