Solo
Blinking away caffeine minutes
And hours
With the deli owls
Sparse and sporadic
Savoring the solitude
Of the urban predawn
I watch winter
Convoluted and crystal
Rush the window
The radio unloads
Heavy metal
High volume, howling
Then
Upturned chairs
the busboy plays counterpoint
on a Kirby
Purposeful sips
Premeditated
Prolong the leisure
Hunching over the cup
I feel my midnight independence hobbled
by night’s loneliness
yet, nonetheless,
Satisfying
— Zumwalt (19 Feb 1979, Washington, DC)
zumpoems 
Comments on: "Solo" (17)
There is a lot to be said for having a cup of good coffee in the company of strangers the comradeship of the lonely. Brilliant poem I can feel the atmosphere and smell the coffee! xx
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love winter “rush” ing the window. continue…
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Tucked inside nice and cozy…with brother Joe, sounds like a party to me…
Bless You
paul
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I love the picture you’ve painted here and the use of imagery (auditory, olfactory [well I can smell the coffee] and visuals) as well as the alliteration. I saw myself in the coffee shop 🙂
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my brother came to visit for the weekend and brought his own coffee. he only drinks a certain blend… it was stout, potent and livened up the conversations (~_~)
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love the scene you paint with your words here…can feel it…love the loneliness on one hand yet still satisfying…yes..know how this feels
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Wonderful exposition here of the way post-midnight deli coffeeing can be soothing and comforting and leave us unlonely even when we went there alone. Love the “busboys Kirbying” part–so right on, zummy! I love coffee shops to write in, to plan stuff in my head in. Wonderfully meditative air about delis, I find.
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A
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As Long as the Coffee Brand isn’t…Kopi Luwak…
Bless You…
Here’s a tune I’ve been working on for ya…
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I liked this..
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beautifully written and expressed! 🙂
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it painted a beautiful picture of leisure and cuppa. i loved to relish my cup of coffee savouring its taste and taste of dreams that came along with it.
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The Dark Knight Soon Arises…one last time…
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Again you’ve truly captured a moment here…I appreciate your unique style: educated and cerebral yet at the same time with creative flow and vision…A talented and seasoned writer, you are, yes indeed.
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Nice and atmospheric, with two of my faves included, coffee and heavy metal! Cheers.
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Magnificently atmospheric.
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hhmmm.. nothing like a good, strong cup of coffee…! Personally i believe i’m addicted to coffee, and this poem right here just increased my longing for it.. absolutely amazing! 😀
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