What’s the relationship
Between seeded flapjack
And an attractive young woman
What’s the sense
Of building up your hopes
Only to be disappointed
And why on earth
To take the extra shot
In your large Americano
Some folks clear their tables
While others work away
On their Apple laptop
Can you identify
The poem or the poet
Or the international chain
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In such uncertain times
When uncertainty
Rubs us up, and along
Each and every day
It is somewhat odd
That resolution rests
On those very days
When doubt
Was way more prevalent
What then is the relevance
Of almost half a life
In the great scheme
Of self-defence
Or self-deference
Surely the lights simply shine
As and when they want to
Or maybe, yes just maybe
Life really does have patterns
It could easily be
A meditation chair
But today it sits
In a circle of six
At the Wortley Arms
This room, small room
With its old stone walls
And three doorways
Was possibly once
No more than a passage
But nowadays in hospitality
Every square foot counts
Each extra cover
Is another diner
And improvisation is for winners
Outside, in bank holiday sunshine
Families meet up
For some kind of celebration
This place, after all
Is where I spent part of my 21st
I come towards the corner
But don’t sit in the corner
After all
It is the time for a new beginning
Yet still with black Americano
Instantly I think back
To more than fifty years ago
When girls and boys would be girls and boys
Always, to think well of oneself
Yet of course, altogether desperately uncertain
Would she really want to go out with me
What kind of a life had I to offer
Yet what a life it’s been, so far
No, there hasn’t been a constant companion
But sufficient dangerous liaisons
To bring fervent touches of spice and colour
New opportunities to discover now
Away from the seats on the sidelines
New eyes to be re-opened
Once the cataracts are removed
The *>*>* is not a good look
Even for a stick insect
With magnificent eyes
The walnut cake
Is chock full of sugar
I didn’t expect that
The coffee though
Is spot on
Certainly a prime flavour
Unfortunately
The crystalline
Is already coursing through the veins