Café couple
A poem by Joanne Maybury

Café couple

They sit, adjacent sides of the table,
gazing silently through the plate glass,
pondering the fish bowl of life.
Perhaps they are in quiet agreement that
today the coffee is bitter
and they may as well have stayed home.
They are of indeterminate age;
neither old nor fashionably young.
Unremarkable, no distinguishing features.
You find yourself dismissing them,
filing them under: Late middle age –
Couple – Bored/boring.

What you do not know is that
she thinks of him as her Funny Valentine,
and that he, after thirty years,
is still astonished she said yes.
They still sleep naked
and every morning his hand
finds the dip of her waist
but not before she begins to stir.
Yesterday, they discussed at length
the local impact of government
fiscal and foreign policy,
and today, the meaning of joy.
A whimsical smile softens her face.
She makes a comment
and he flushes, throwing his head back
to let out the laughter that
crinkles his eyes.

About the Author:

Joanne Maybury has lived in Uganda and Sudan, journeyed with the chronically and terminally ill, is a contemplative engaged with her faith community, and now lives in the Scottish Borders.

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