Café Poem by Robbie Brereton

Coffee granules littered the disjointed table,
as a discarded sugar sachet spilled its guts
onto the stained saucer.

A nervous hush engulfed the room, as dribbles
of mortified tea dared to slip and slake
from the pots splintered spout.

Knives and forks straddled one another,
afraid to utter a sound. A torn napkin
wept, tears draining down a charred table leg,
fuelling the steam that bellowed from a
cracked cafetière.

A tripped chair flashed a glance
to the ceiling, fearing the stalactites
of lukewarm milk clustered overhead.

Kettle’s whining whistle finally fractured frozen air.

Murmurs retuned as a hung head,
and bleary eyes, edged out the door.