Thunder and Coffee

The sky is all lit up with lightning.
The air is all thunder and frightening.
Drowned rat families rush in off the street
searching for sanctuary and a nice dry seat.

The rain comes down hard, hits the street, bounces high,
falls again, fills the gutters and rushes on by.
Fills the drains, floods the streets and the squares of the town.
No-one's going out until it settles down.

A black coffee for dad and a Latté for mum,
Frappuccinos for kiddies, and cookies all round.
Starbucks is busy and a good place to hide
while all natures fireworks are going off outside.

The rain stops falling and the sun starts to shine.
The clouds fade away and the air tastes like wine.
The pavements are steaming and drying out fast
and families can finish their shopping at last..

Two Hours at a coffee shop table

Ten

A child with blue eyes and blonde curly hair
Daddy is counting her toes once again
Sat in her buggy she hasn't a care
always a surprise when the answer is ten

Pink

Blonde hair and ponytail, cats on her shoes

Pink glasses peeping out under her fringe.

Sticking her tongue out at her older brother

Her entire life has a sugar pink tinge.

Continuum

Sat in the chair with a coffee and crossword

Vacant expression upon wise old face.

Waiting while women do shopping and chatting.

Nine letter word meaning 'All time and space'

Ladies

Taking small bites out of their lemon cheesecakes

the ladies who lunch in their usual seats.

Taking small sips making small conversation.

Usual coffees and usual treats.

Starbucks

I thought I wanted coffee, I thought I wanted black.
I knew I should have decaf, according to the quack.
So I went on down to Starbucks to drink some coffee there
and was instantly defeated when I read the bill of fare.

For Starbucks don't sell coffee, at least not by that name,
and a chocca-mocha-latté is somehow not the same.
Black's now 'Americano' and a large is 'Vente' so
An Americano, Vente, decaf please, to go.

Then they ask me what my name is! So what's that all about?
Is this the latest info that Big Brother's checking out?
so I said it's Winston Smith and the Barista gave a look
that said she was familiar with Orwell's little book.

But I got my cup of coffee although by another name
and thought...
No matter how we change things everything remains the same.



Written while drinking a Vente Americano Decaf in Starbucks, Basingstoke.

At the end of the day

tired head dips
brown hand grips
orange mug tips
black coffee sips
through pursed lips
warm sigh slips

and sunset

drips