MUSTAFA’S SIDEWALK CAFÉ
Mustafa was pleased to welcome patrons who spoke English
From the nearby theatre where he had learned acting for a while.
He whispered Russian with his colonial accent, very British,
And a big, confidential, very African smile.
His grapes hung here as ours had over Lake Albert -
With hibiscus and dahlias impatiently pushing aside the fence.
His shashlik was in Ugandan halal style, not like in the desert,
Melting on the tongue, almost before you commenced.
No one could listen or watch for secrets in this busy spot -
Vendors shouted magazines and postcards in every tongue;
Traffic noise covered each hushed and heated thought;
Hot sunlight was dimmed for old and young.
I wanted to caress afresh her bewitching smile
Her delightful eyelids of Chantilly lace :
And just enjoy beholding her for a while,
Perfumed with Lake Albert’s hibiscus scent trace.
14 April 2021
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NOTE Based on a real café in the city centre in St Petersburg, Russia.
Lake Albert is a large lake in Uganda
Chantilly Lace is perhaps the most delicate lace in the world
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