“Coffee Time, Fuller’s Restaurant” by Michael Lee Johnson
Michael Lee Johnson is a poet and freelance writer from Itasca, Illinois. He has been published in more than 20 countries. Michael is author of From Which Place the Morning Rises, a new poetry chapbook with pictures; a new photo version of The Lost American: from Exile to Freedom; the original version of The Lost American: from Exile to Freedom; and two previous chapbooks. All of his books are also available on amazon.com. Michael is also editor/publisher of four poetry sites, all open for submission, which can be found at poetryman.mysite.com.
Coffee Time, Fuller’s Restaurant
(Edmonton, Alberta)
June 29th, 1980, three o’clock A.M.
And I’m getting older by the minute.
Thinking about it makes me tired.
Outside traffic crawls slowly over
slippery pavement like inebriated turtles.
Inside, at the coffee counter, I flirt with a waitress –
fresh young fruit from Montreal.
She insists on calling me Vincent Price
and speaking French in Alberta.
I’m trying to read Periods of the Moon,
by Irving Layton, selecting the human
condition, repetition, and insomnia as
my main themes.
Next to me, a street gypsy drooping
over the counter beside me, pulling
scraps of dog-eared aged newsprint
f rom a doggie bag. She stares
squint-eyed at a picture of John F. Kennedy
for two hours, manages to laugh
an incredible 29 times, sorry, 30 times, 31.
Counting makes me tired,
makes me take notice of this gypsy
and disapprove.
-1980-
Copyright © Michael Lee Johnson
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
A nice poem, a captured moment, memorable characters. Life itself.
To me this was a perfect snapshot. I used to write in a similar style until someone told me it wasn’t an acceptable professional style. Boy do i feel stupid. I let someone else’s opinion cause me to quit writing!! Never again!! Thanks for sharing.