The new guy working in the café
doesn’t completely fill the teapots-for-one
with hot water and I don’t know if I should
say anything. There’s a mother sitting
on the blue and green floral sofa by the window.
She’s dipping a double chocolate chip cookie
into her milky coffee telling her toddler
to stop waving his stuffed dog around
because dogs cannot fly. The new guy
just gave the retired bloke I see here
every Tuesday a cheese and tomato toastie
instead of a cheese and ham toastie.
The retired bloke takes a bite
in my direction and says, He’s halfway there.

© Carl Burkitt 2023