I sit and sip my latte.
Silently, serenely.
It's not the same,
without her presence
behind the bar.

The tears have dried now,
though the sadness lingers.

The third of three has flown away,
back to the place she still
considers home, even after two
years of living here.

She wanted to go back to what she has
always known, what seems
familiar – I have to wonder
if she’ll find what she’s looking for,
or if what she’s seeking
has been lost in the sands
of time passing, people
moving on as she did, once
upon a time when she still
needed me to tell her everything
would be alright.

Now, I have to tell myself
that everything will be alright.

07/16/2005

Author's Note: After a long hiatus, the third in the Coffee House series

Posted on 07/16/2005
Copyright © 2024 Heide McAlister-Bates