Clyde at the cafe, engulfed in flames,
Has an odd experience.
Smoke pours down into him,
And the flames draw together, shrinking, as if they were cold.
The tea bag leaps back into the cup,
Which rises to his hand.
The fire lifts away
Like startled red birds, departing.
A woman walks past him, in heels, backwards, smiling.
Clyde looks down,
Unreading a story about last night's Red Sox game.
His morning is repaired.
He understands now,
She was not the one for him.
______
Superb and surreal, highly effective; it's almost literally a visual experience, as indeed the bright flash sensation of a moment of insight often is. Fine poem, Shay.
ReplyDeletehe must have stumbled into Danny's Coffee Shop.
ReplyDelete'unreading a story' ... what a concept! Yankees fans in this house! Nice poem, Ms. Shay!
ReplyDeletegreat vivid imaging...I wish sometimes we could hit the rewind button...
ReplyDeleteAs usual I loved it. Very vivid!
ReplyDeleteOh, that last line just wrapped this up so beautifully, Shay. Your imagery is superb.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely surreal......incredibly awesome.
ReplyDeleteWowzers, this is wicked good! How do you think up these things? Can see the teabag, the cup, the whole re-wind, so vividly. And then the last lines: perfection. You are soooo brilliant!
ReplyDeleteLove this, very surreal which is a great way to be!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved this as all your writing!
Love to you
Terrific concept piece. You rewound the scene beautifully!
ReplyDeleteShay,
ReplyDeleteAre you trying to be new age Merlin now? This was great...a backwards and forward in time poem:~)
Well done, oh wise woman poet!
nice....wish i could flow back a little...
ReplyDeleteThat was pretty cool. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is almost dizzying! Very cool, Shay.
ReplyDelete