The Coffee Shop
She glanced at her phone
Sipping cold brew, now mostly ice
Chocolate foam, sweet escape
Could barely soften her sighs
He was late again
An hour, maybe more this time
Could hear the sky applaud
Rain drops made a rhyme
“Black coffee for A. G.,”
Barista called; time uncurled
A memory long packed away
From another life, another world
This cafe still had that corner booth
Their laughter sweetened each sip
Dreams brewed stronger than coffee roast
And one dark day, love lost its grip
“Hi.” said a voice, soft as dusk
Her pulse forgot its age
He stood there, wet rim glasses
Those dark brown eyes, and ache
“It’s been so long… how have you been?”
He said, with half a smile
She tried to speak, but memories
Spoke louder for a while
He’d aged over years, a silver trim
The voice still held that tune
Face calm, but she felt a stir
Like a wind around a dune
His wife was waiting
Said it twice, yet stayed
Silence filled the space
In the life they lived, they made.
Brief embrace, decades dissolved
Two souls in pouring rain
Their eyes locked, thousand whys
Then distance fell again
She sank back in her chair
A teardrop slipped unseen
Waited a little longer for her man
Wondering all that might have been.
Copyright © Shrikant Bahadkar | Year Posted 2025
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