For No 9 Coffee Bar…And Those on the Stools

I made the discovery
that there were stools right
there, tucked into the side,
right behind the espresso machine.
Out of the way and somehow
deep in the heart of it all.
Gritty and full of inner machinations
and steady service.

My own heart, too, is like that.
A few stools for those
gathered close—a part
of the intimate workings
while also near enough
to know the possibility of
a sometimes mess—and yet,
there they willingly abide

when there are lots of other rooms-
some smaller, some with tables
where two or three can gather with
laughter, and listening, quiet
sipping, reading, pausing, returning,
with new stories to hear and relate.
A host of beautiful regulars and newcomers,
enjoying the respite, the company, the space,
the honest mutual warmth.

The ones on the stools…they have watched
and seen into the life of things and know
when the machine acts up,
when the heart needs tending—
and the shop needs to close for a while-
and they stay to wipe down the counters, pick
the music, help do the dishes, and get things
up and running for tomorrow.

Kimberly M. King