Through the observation of a strong woman fighting back tears, while she drinks coffee– Gary Johnson reflects on his own loss and need for comfort.
“In a Cafe”
by Gary Johnson
The sun sinks down, the heavy fog rolls in,
Nothing is left to say and you know that no good
Will ever come of this,
Life will never again be miraculous.
Tall dark woman in the café, I see
How the tears glitter in your blue eyes.
You drink black coffee for bravery
And weep onto the front page of the Times.
I had a love once too who now is gone, is
gone, she’s gone. The waves roll along
The coast, the sweet summer rain blows in.
If I knew you, I’d sit by your side and sing:
This world is not our home, we’re only passing through.
Let me start off with, I probably did not cry to this poem the first time I read it on The Writer’s Almanac. But as I discovered its truth and its melody re-reading it over and over again.. I end up crying to it in a way that was a bajillion times worse and more grotesque than when I cried to the end of Toy Story 3 (damn you, Andy– damn you!).
Just as movie music tends to hypnotically take over your body’s basic ability to keep it all together, “In a Cafe” has a musical type of sadness that just triggers your tear ducts automatically.
If this poem relieves you through a good crying session, or leaves you completely unaffected– let me know on facebook. I want to know your reactions.