he’s a tumbleweed
this rootless man
moving
like a migrating bird
changing cities
as easily as another might
switch coffee mugs or find a new cafe
with a different baker for pastries and
a different source for roasted beans
as if life
might change
at a new address
or on the single quaff of a new brew
as if he could find himself
in the company of strangers,
of unknown neighbors
sitting at anonymous tables
in silent camaraderie with
smart phones and tablets
he sits, stares
looking past – not at – his iPad
a woman walks by, shoots a smile
into the dark heart of his alienation
he receives it
like a dying man receives chest compression,
a jump-start to his imagination and he could
envision her that night, looking at the same
moon, mooning over the same stars and
revisiting dreams once thought dead
© 2015, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved; photo courtesy of Moss Will under CC BY (attribution) 3.0 license
Cafés are wonderful places to observe human behaviour and the human condition as people visit, hold meetings, take a break, write, sit lonely or peacefully in the noise and crowd. Paint a word portrait in prose or poem of someone you noted and remember from a recent visit to a neighborhood café. If you feel comfortable, please share your response – or a link to it – in the comments below. All shared work will be featured here next Tuesday.
ABOUT THE POET BY DAY
- The Poet by Day, an information hub serving poets and writers
- Coffee, Tea and Poetry, Simple Pleasures for Body, Mind and Spirit … “I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground
- The WordPlay Shop: books, tools and supplies for poets, writers and readers
- Testimonials
- Disclosure
