cafe

at the café I found
a round dark table which
I imagined you would prefer
told the waiter to check for you
in case you didn’t see me
despite all the mirrors

after ten minutes I took out
my diary, pens and phone while
the Chinese girls claimed the couch
with their Chinese beau
“we love it here”, they said
and the waiter zoomed

after twenty minutes I watched
the tall, handsome fellow
leave the round table nearby
with the smooth-bobbed woman
and head outside for sunshine and
their study group meeting

after forty minutes I ordered
precise tea from the waiter
(who had told me at least three times
that there was no sign of you)
a mixture please - of camomile
for calming, peppermint for unease

after forty minutes I also took out
my silver-skinny writing machine
to read old old pieces
about life being less
than wonderful but still
holding at the seams

after ninety minutes
an empty pot of tea
a trip to the ladies’
someone else’s devoured brownie
blackboard menu memorised
I packed, paid and walked away.