Notes from a New Orleans Café

A kaleidoscope of faces
glides along a buzzing counter,
which vibrates with conversation, pleasantries and caffeine.

Good morning! / Yes, please / That’ll be… / Thank you!

What’s their destination?
What’s their motivation?
”We see faces,” Mami used to say.
”But we don’t know their hearts.”
To whom do they belong?

Good to see you / Have a good day! / See you soon

They’ll surely come here again,
but for now, their hazy faces
fade out onto Julia Street
as they carry along.

Their day – and mine – has just begun.

__

Penned April 9, 2025, 8:35 a.m., Bearcat Baked, New Orleans