Starbucks Café
for Vanessa Linden

she’d call my name as sweetly
when she sees me

with as much gaiety
as she announces
the poetic sounding, vast variety
of hot and cold coffees and teas

in covered cups
placed upon the pick up counter
for customers to collect

in this same spirit
with this same joie de vivre

she’d squeal my name
with as much delight

as if I too were delicious
as if she knew it

my poetry, all she’s had access to

I, as it were, tasted tears she shed
when a cousin passed
victim of homicide

she though, on the other hand
is life itself

connection we’ve slipped into
is such a fortunate affair

she values words
and words are what I have

able to fill myself with these
like the night sky fills with stars
the sun goes down
the shift changes

one source of light giving way
to several million stars twinkling

I wonder how her Christmas was
full of shepherds, sheep, wise men

or just turkey and ham
and songs of chestnuts

without chestnuts roasting
upon an open fire


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
5:35 p.m. 09.01.09