Coos Bay Coffee Shop Poem by Stephen De Marino

Coffee shop in Oregon
Door hidden in the wall
Smoke lingers 'round the table
Easy joking regulars
Caffeine and nicotine breath
Greeting my stumbling entry
I make my order
Without a verbal response
From the sallow faced
Gay man behind the bar
His fingers, with flour
And bits of clinging egg
The women in pictures
Homecoming beautiful
With their Coos Bay smiles
Adorning the shelves
Behind the Pepsi sign
There, sitting like an idol
A solitary Betsy Ross Butterhorn
Open package, date unknown
Presented like a treasure
An Oregon gem of untold value
I am tempted to ask
To detemine its provenance
An explanation for this shrine
Instead, I sit, with my coffee and cream
Eating my omelet of eggs
Under those Coos Bay smiles.
- STD 2k