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All Night Cafe

Approaching the solitary window, Cold bites deep to my veins, The belongings to the window's innards, Crack out wards, light up my way. The glowing warmth and smell of it's doorway, Invites you, to the 'All Night Café'. Breath lightly on the window, Cold wind catches it hard, One moment caught from moving, All sense of feeling barred. Huddled in the corner, mug of tea to hand, Covered in rags is the resemblance of man. He has no knowledge of his surroundings, Which have treated him so severe, He keeps on hiding from us nightly, With yet one more pint of beer. See sweat filled walls look down on solitary man, Sits crumpled and worn, preserves what dignity he can. Wind leathered face, stiffens disgrace. Unshaven, unclean. Visible and smelling are the places he's seen. Look into his eyes, they are swollen brown, The darkness of which match only his frown. His cheekbones in contrast, stand out proud, Skin, clinging thinly, as his corpses constant shroud. Decide to move in closer, having been unnoticed inside, The staff sit living in the kitchen, where from such reality they hide. Still, he sits coldly, as I, invading his space, My form forever lowering, stops, opposite expressionless face. For a moment my attention is taken, by a voice high ticking on the wall, It's face forever changing, one day it too must fall. Outside howling, the wind is crying to get in, Starts kicking at the doorway, raising the noise to a din. There is laughter in the back now, as the clock it strikes one, Everyone seems to be saying, "life must go on". Turn back to the table, my friend has a tear in his eye, All the lonely people in the world, yet nobody answers why. Reach out to touch him, then all I wipe is on glass,

Copyright © | Year Posted 2013




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Date: 3/30/2013 5:48:00 AM
- Chris, a strong poem to start with, very well written. - Welcome to P-Soup, hope you will get much pleasure to share your thoughts and poems here with us. - Good luck! - Have a happy Easter! - oxox / / Anne-Lise :)
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Chris Matthews
Date: 3/30/2013 6:02:00 AM
Hi thank you for the great welcome, look forward to seeing your work too.
Date: 3/28/2013 7:42:00 PM
Chris I can visualize every word of this amazing poem. Outstanding....thank you..I so enjoyed reading it...Donna
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Donna Jones
Date: 3/30/2013 5:41:00 AM
I hope things are better now friend. I occasionally come across travellers in my part of the country and give them short lifts up the road..it amazes me the down and out struggling..God bless us all
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Chris Matthews
Date: 3/29/2013 2:32:00 AM
Hi Donna, thank you for liking my poem. You could use any down and out man in a simple drop in centre. I based the poem on a night i had to sleep on the street in Cologne and ended up at an all night place serving drinks and food to those unfortunate to be in need.
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Donna Jones
Date: 3/28/2013 7:43:00 PM
I wish I had a picture of this man so I could draw him...another past time I love...

Book: Reflection on the Important Things