Michael Coy Poet Sonnet

Where Nobody Knows Your Name

I crossed from Boston Common to the pub 
on Beacon Street. A barstool, banter, beers 
awaited me, for I was bound for "Cheers", 
the suds-and-suckers landmark of The Hub. 

But this was not remotely as I'd hoped. 
So small and squat and square, and antiseptic! 
A couple from Des Moines, and one dyspeptic 
waitress in the "chow shack", neatly-roped. 

The silence made me feel I'd interloped. 
Twelve bucks a beer. As I morosely moped, 
the woman I'd come all this way to see 
(so blonde, so buxom, with such perfect skin) 
was far too occupied to lunch with me. 
Facades are only there to draw you in.

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Susan Ashley November 6, 2025 at 7:45 AM Dear Michael, I adore how the sense of anticipation fades to disappointment and then falls into a lovely shade of poetic melancholy whose blue mood grows ever more deep and poignant as the poem unfolds to reveal a its moving finale. Sigh, so true, such a meaningful and soulful last line. Clever twist on the theme song of Cheers for your poem’s title that sets the stage for an expressive piece. Congratulations for your success in Mark’s contest. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan Michael Coy November 6, 2025 at 8:18 AM Susan, you do me proud every time. The idea was to go from 'Cheers' (a jolly, positive note) to the bitter observation which concludes the poem - and of course, you nailed it. If you don't make it as Poet Laureate (and I, for one, am not betting against it), you have a glittering future awaiting you as a literary critic.

Mark Toney October 29, 2025 at 12:36 PM Let me guess—and they’re not always glad you came? Another witty snapshot in time from your clever pen, this time in Beantown. You really didn’t expect to see Diane Chambers, did you? My wife and I were there some years ago, but we didn’t go in. We chose instead to almost pass out walking from the Cheers bar to Quincy Market. Congratulations on your top 10 win on Mile 24 of my 2025 Poetry Marathon Contest. Keep your running shoes on, because Mile 25 has already started. Only 2 more miles to go before the Qualifiers’ Final Placement contest! Michael Coy October 29, 2025 at 1:15 PM Guys of a certain age are all in love with Diane Chambers (myself included). Hang in there, Mark - not far to go now! Many thanks, amigo. Michael