Ashes

The cafe burnt alive as soon as you
Set your patent leather boot inside
And walked right into this unknown,
Mysterious yet familiar world 
Of witty writers and pious poets
With their poetic pens.
My tantalizing timid eyes 
Met your musically amused eyes,
And I heard a symphony unsung,
Strange, how can you be just a stranger,
When your eyes can speak so much danger,
Then how much your heart would want to say, stranger. 
Strangers don't sing symphonies, 
Nor do they linger nostalgically 
Like a locket on an ashen neck. 
They don't even say hello,
And there I sat with my cold heart,
Wondering like a bashful bard,
What were the chances,
Those burning glances,
And you left aloofly 
With your latte
Leaving the ashes behind. 
Soot everywhere,
Here and there,
On my lips where
Your eyes lingered,
On my fingertips,
Wanting to write 
The desires of the
Waltzing, woozy heart. 
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

Poem

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Anaya Avatar
April 9, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Good point made. Anne, how can a stranger sing his symphony? "My tantalizing timid eyes Met your musically amused eyes, And I heard a symphony unsung" you have a very powerful poetic song~ April blessings
Bowring Avatar
July 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Dear Anne, a belated big congratulations on POTW! I loved reading this so well written poem. I also loved the flow, the heartbeat and having no stanza’s enhanced this. You set a vivid scene that draws the attention immediately as the poem flames with passion and longing and concludes with smouldering ashes. Desires indeed of the “Waltzing, woozy heart”. A well deserved recognition. Blessings and smiles to you xx
Winter Avatar
July 7, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Dear Christina, thank you so much for your kind words and congratulations! I'm thrilled to have been recognized for the Poem of the Week. Your thoughtful feedback and blessings mean a lot to me. I appreciate you, dear friend! :)
M  Avatar
July 1, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Biggest , belated and well deserved Congratulations Anne on POTW! A truly captivating write my friend! Debx
Winter Avatar
July 1, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Thank you so much dear friend! I appreciate you :)
Etgen-Baker Avatar
June 22, 2025 at 8:46 AM
a deep and intricately written poem..one worthy of POTW
Winter Avatar
June 23, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Thank you so much :)
Lawless Avatar
June 20, 2025 at 6:53 AM
I had that same experience with a spider web once....beautifully written in the silky spider web way...smooth, yet tinged with danger and passion. congrats on POTW...WELL DESERVED.
Winter Avatar
June 20, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Dear John, thank you so much for your lovely note. I appreciate you, dear friend. Best, Anne
Seeker Avatar
June 18, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Superb portrayal of a magical vibrational connect. Warmest congratulations on POTW, Anne
Winter Avatar
June 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Thank you so much, dear friend. I appreciate your lovely note :)
Nicole Avatar
June 17, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Dear Anne, your words hold depth and meaning. So deserving to be in the spotlight all week. Congratulations my sweet friend. Many wonderful blessings to you. :) Hugs, Brandy
Winter Avatar
June 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Dear Brandy, what a joy it is to read your lovely notes, I appreciate you. Thank you so much :)
Anaya Avatar
June 17, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Congratulations on Poem of the Week, Anne Winter! Chills of desires flowing into a staccato cadence which makes my heart throb and fingers snap. A "Rogers and Heart" composition of melancholy aspects of love. Charming~
Winter Avatar
June 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Ahh!! Your comment is so wonderful! Thank you so much, dear friend, I'm so grateful :)
Andresen Avatar
June 17, 2025 at 7:53 AM
- A wonderful poem with emotion, Anne ... congratulations on your p.o.t.w. ... enjoy your week :) - hugs
Winter Avatar
June 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Dear Anne-Lise, thank you so much! I'm so grateful :)
Bartley Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Great alliteration, especially the ending 'Waltzing, woozy heart." Congrats on your POTD and thanks for sharing.
Winter Avatar
June 17, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Dear Benjamin, thank you so much! I appreciate you :)
Rodgers Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Dearest Anne, Look at you, my dear poet friend and getting POTW! I am so proud of you and I stand and applaud. Congratulations! Spring Blessings, and Hugs, My Dearest Anne, Daniel
Winter Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Dearest Daniel, your kind words and encouragement mean the world to me. Thank you so much for always cheering for me, I truly appreciate you! Thank you for being my Mrs Dagenhart, my dearest friend. With love and respect always, Anne
Edmonds  Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Engaging poetry Anne, congratulations on receiving the honour of poem of the week… Beryl
Winter Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Thank you so much, dear poet :)
Fowler Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 9:19 AM
I enjoyed this a lot Anne. Smouldering elegance. Congratulations! :)
Winter Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Dear Linda, I'm glad you enjoyed my poem, thank you so much! :)
Goldsmith Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Congratulations on your POTW win. I enjoyed reading your write. Great Ending... Have a blessed day with your wonderful win............
Winter Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Dear Paula, I'm glad you liked my poem, thank you so much!
Etgen-Baker Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 6:12 AM
congrats on your POTW designation. Love your poetic voice and style exemplified in this moving poem. Yellow Rose
Winter Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Thank you so much, dear poet! I appreciate you! :)
Jones Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 3:49 AM
What a lovely unique style you have! Congratulations on potw!
Winter Avatar
June 16, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Dear Karen, thank you so much for your lovely note! :)
Rodrigues Avatar
June 14, 2025 at 5:56 AM
A curious beginning… the musicality, symphony… Leaving the ashes behind. Soot everywhere, Here and there, On my lips… Enjoyed this write! Fave
Winter Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Dear Kim, I love reading your lovely notes, I truly appreciate you! Best, Anne
Williams Avatar
June 14, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Hi Anne,what a smoldering, evocative poem — it reads like a memory set aflame. The imagery is rich with romantic tension and poetic melancholy. I especially love how the poem plays with contrasts: fire and ash, mystery and familiarity, silence and symphony. There's a haunting beauty in the way the stranger's presence lingers long after they're gone, like soot in the soul. Truly atmospheric and emotionally stirring — it captures that fleeting moment of connection that feels eternal...Hugs
Winter Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Dear Maria, I'm so glad how you deeply understood my poem. I appreciate your lovely words. I'm very grateful that you stopped by and read my poem. Best, Anne
Godwin Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 6:38 PM
What a breath of fresh poem this is. Your free verse style reminds me somewhat of my own. You deliver, Annie Deliver Winner, really enjoyed. Be blessed ... CayCay
Winter Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Dear CayCay, I'm so glad you enjoyed my poem, I'm glad my free verse style resonates with your style. I appreciate you. Sending you love, Anne
Rolland Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 5:22 PM
in the intimacy of the cafe, this is brilliant and moving, so impressive poem have a nice week end
Winter Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Dear Yann, your kind words mean a lot, I appreciate you :)
Gifford Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Hello Anne, this is a brilliant piece, beautifully executed and an excellent read. Wishing you a wonderful weekend my poet friend.
Winter Avatar
June 15, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Dear Zyrool, thank you so much! I appreciate your comments! Have a wonderful day :)
Kendrick Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Amazing isn't it, Anne, what a look can do sometimes, but we definitely don't know exactly what the person is thinking. Thanks for sharing this amazingly creative work with us. Sara K
Winter Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Thank you, Sara! I love how a single look can spark so much imagination and connection. While most of the time we cannot know what a person is thinking, sometimes the eyes can reveal what words can't. I'm glad you enjoyed the poem, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Buhagiar Avatar
June 12, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Your poetry is aflame with emotion and your brilliant alliterations sent up that café alight whilst the coffee latte spreads its delicious aroma. Your desire to write is embedded in your heart where even poetry can be written with soot. Your metaphors engage our hearts and makes your poem shine. Blessings.
Winter Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Dear Victor, thank you so much for your beautiful and imaginative response! Your words mean a lot and I'm grateful for your kind encouragement. Your description of my poetry is a gift in itself :)
Nicole Avatar
June 12, 2025 at 6:12 PM
' Strangers don't sing symphonies. ' Seems that way, yet hearts connect instantly. So many emotions tangle through your words Anne. You're truly a gifted writer. Many wonderful blessings to you, my dear friend. Hugs, Brandy
Winter Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Dear Brandy, your sweet words have warmed my heart. Thank you for being such a kind and supportive friend. I'm grateful for our connection and the joy of sharing words with you. Hugs back at you, my sweet friend :)
Rodgers Avatar
June 12, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Dearest Anne, haunting and gorgeous and somehow both delicate and devastating at once. I read it and felt like I was sitting in that cafe, breathing in the smoke and the longing, watching and just the presence of someone can set a whole room (a whole life?) on fire. I could see the patent leather boots, the secret world of writers and poets. Isn’t it wild how a stranger can feel like a song you’ve always known? “Soot everywhere, here and there, on my lips where your eyes lingered”—Anne, that’s heartbreak and hope and hunger all at once. I felt it in my bones. Your fingertips wanting to write the desires of a “waltzing, woozy heart”it’s so vulnerable and honest. Every time I’ve ever sat in a room full of strangers and wondered what would happen if I let myself feel, or speak, or reach out. You my poet friend Anne, are becoming. Blessings and Hugs, Daniel
Winter Avatar
June 13, 2025 at 6:55 AM
My Dearest Daniel, your words have touched my heart and left me breathless! Thank you for understanding and capturing the essence of my poem so beautifully. Your kind and perceptive reading means the world to me. I'm grateful for our poetic connection and look forward to sharing more words with you, my dearest friend. With love and respect always, Anne
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