Man In the Window

He visits the coffee shop every week
On Thursday, his personal treat
Buys skinny latte, with biscotti
Then takes his regular seat

In the alcove, by the window
Sits to watch the world go past,
With book taken from his ‘man-bag’
Settles, to enjoy his repast

He used to come in with his ‘Mrs’
Now he frequents on his own,
Looking out of the window, and reading
He’s content with sitting alone

Odd times, when the shop is busy
Someone will take up the opposite chair
Some, if inclined, he’ll talk to
Most, he won’t notice are there

He’s happy in his own world
Simply, just getting by
At times, he looks so lonely
It breaks my heart, and I could cry

There must be others, in the world like him
Widowed, divorced, estranged,
Who keep on going through the ‘old routine’,
Living in fear of change

Acting out the old adage of ‘life goes on’
When they lose husband, partner or wife,
Sticking with the same day to day regimes
To help them muddle through life

Maintaining the familiar,
Can help you to stay strong,
Until the day you find yourself ready for change;
You’ll feel the time’s right to move on

Until that day for ‘The Man in the Window’ arrives
He’ll keep visiting every week,
Persisting in his habitual routine
To find the solace he seeks

For now, he sips the last of his coffee,
Neatly packs away his tome;
With a nod of farewell to the barista’s
Solitarily, leaves, to head home.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2015

Poem

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Nehls Avatar
September 29, 2015 at 6:56 AM
Hi Janette. This is a very well written poem and tells a story of waiting for "The Man In The Window." I believe my Dad was like this after my mom passed away. He just stuck to the same place and the same routine and waited for God to bring him home. Thanks for sharing, my friend..... Robert.
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