Green Glass

Early in the morning
and you sip your second cup
of coffee, rich and brown,
the sharp taste cutting through the fog
of a night without enough sleep,

prodded awake
again and again
by dreams,
a madman’s mix of passion and pain,
too real for comfort.

You sip your coffee
and stare out the diner window,
past the green glass
so random on the sills
that it looks almost like art,
impressionist and vibrant in color
that steals the show
from the landscape beyond.

You wonder,
the cup in mid air,
what color in you,
grabs the light,
and pulls the eye
of strangers and lovers alike,
and what, you wonder,
do they miss?

About this poem

I almost titled this “Misdirection”, but then the poem formed itself, I realize that often the things that distract us from seeing the heart of the person are sometimes created by the person themselves, but at times are caused by the viewer themselves. I decided to keep the reason for distraction vague, and just note how powerful a distortion the distractions are.

The picture was taken at the Dam Diner in Townshend, VT.  And yes, every word play you can imagine with a name like that, has been done and is probably on the walls somewhere A fun place.

Tom