Four Cafes Premiere Contest Winner

High above the quiet, darkened streets of January, the night wind begins to whisper secrets through my apartment window casements. Far below me lie four cafes, all in sync as they awaken from daytime hibernation to begin an evening ritual of turning on lights, welcoming thirsty patrons, discouraging lost polar bears, trying to survive.

Light bulbs hang in lazy swags, dripping evenly from the edge of each identical awning. Predictably, their glow travels as fast as the light itself creating a sudden and uninvited interruption of the Arctic desert landscape.  

Sitting apart on their respective corners below, the cafes squeeze into a single pane near the bottom of my window. Leaning closer, I blow a hot and intoxicated breath onto the glass in defiance or retaliation, an attempt at immolation perhaps. Instead, my unused air lies wasted across the cafes on the other side of the window, in an irregular oval of futility. 

I use a balled-up fist to wipe away the misty scene before it has a chance to evaporate and leave me alone, a desperate and inevitable disappearing act in the face of my curated isolation. 

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023



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Date: 9/30/2024 3:56:00 PM
Lovely imagery! Amazing!
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Date: 9/30/2024 2:29:00 PM
Well Hello Jaymee Thompson, It is so nice to meet you. Congratulation on the win. A person living where there are bears is very brave. I don't know where this place is. I know it is cold. Enjoy your special day. /Darlene/
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Date: 9/30/2024 12:25:00 PM
Great narrative. I love the flow of the words and the impact of the message. Blessings always!
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Date: 1/21/2024 9:53:00 AM
Congratulations on top spot, Jaymee. I really love that last small verse and how it really shows the feeling of isolation.
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Ward Avatar
Julia Ward
Date: 5/6/2024 1:35:00 AM
It's a paragraph, not a verse. It's prose!
Date: 1/18/2024 3:40:00 PM
Congratulations
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Date: 1/18/2024 11:03:00 AM
Congratulations on this win, Jaymee. You're certainly not a poet meant for curated isolation!
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Date: 1/18/2024 10:09:00 AM
Well, of course that had to do well in my contest, Jaymee! It was top winner in a prose contest during last year that I named "Four Cafés" . Congratulations for a further Trophy win out of my choice of 35 "Most Viewed". // Isn't it odd that some people don't read the type of entry before commenting? Andrea, (see four posts above), referenced your last paragraph as a "small verse"! Lol!
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Thomas Avatar
Jaymee Thomas
Date: 1/18/2024 10:48:00 AM
Haha! I saw your contest and looked up my most viewed poem and was DELIGHTED to find out which one it was. I thought even if it didn't take a top spot you might find it just as serendipitous as I did :) I think I'm going to move toward more prose work moving forward. I enjoyed doing this one so much. Thank you again!!
Date: 1/18/2024 10:08:00 AM
Jaymee, congratulations on your trophy win. Such an interesting and unique approach to the contest theme. Blessings of health and happiness to you.
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Date: 11/20/2023 4:03:00 PM
Hey, got a trophy on your first try. Welcome to PS Jaymee
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Date: 3/23/2023 9:02:00 AM
Avant-garde—your poem combined interest and smart, edgy ideas. Congratulations on your win! I Am Anaya & a beautiful avatar is it you?
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Date: 3/18/2023 7:17:00 AM
Congratulations Jaimee on a superbly well written poem on a difficult topic.
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Date: 3/16/2023 11:23:00 PM
Congratulations on your top win in this contest. Wonderful poem.
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Date: 3/15/2023 8:01:00 PM
Wow! Congrats! Your first posted poem is a trophy winner. Thanks for sharing your talent. God bless you.
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Date: 3/15/2023 4:47:00 PM
Love this almost whimsical write Jaymee! Congratulations on your win! :)
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Date: 3/15/2023 9:59:00 AM
Congratulations on your win Jamee.
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Date: 3/15/2023 8:51:00 AM
Very nice, Jaymee. Congratulations on First Place!
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Date: 3/15/2023 6:07:00 AM
Nicely done Jaymee
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Date: 3/15/2023 3:33:00 AM
Congratulations, Jaymee.
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Date: 3/15/2023 2:12:00 AM
Hello Jaymee, Your first entry on this site has been awarded a trophy*. Well done for doing so well in my contest I set up which I called "Four Cafés." // *As well as on this page, you will see a trophy against your prose when you look at the Poetry Soup page showing the titles of your work.
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Thomas Avatar
Jaymee Thomas
Date: 3/15/2023 12:38:00 PM
Thank you so much. I had a ton of fun with your prompt! Something about it being so prescriptive added a whole new layer of joy to the process. Thank you for that. And for the win. I'm still buzzing with excitement about it :)
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