my thoughts scattered like chaff in the wind
dandelion seeds in a spring breeze
when you first spoke to me

"deep in thought, are you?" you ask, smiling
the cafe was suddenly so loud
your eyes so bright
life so vibrant

i smile back, nervously hesitate
(is this happening!?)
then "you caught me
lost in the urban sprawl of my mind
it's nice to meet you, i'm sean"

but before we could touch
you disappeared down a side street
lit by neon signs; red, pink, blue
and i realized you were just my fantasy

a desire, too good to be true

Desde que nací, he mirado a miles de personas a los ojos,
miles de iris con diferentes matices, verdes, cafés y hasta azules.

Soy amante del café, aunque confieso no saber mucho, no sé qué grado de acidez exacto deba tener, como para que se considere un buen café, pero siempre me ha gustado simple; oscuro y sin azúcar.

Pero, cuando te conocí, me di cuenta que el café que siempre me ha gustado, ahora lo encontraba en tu mirada.
Si, así es. Tienes unos ojos del color café perfecto, del color de la tierra y de la arena, del color de aquellas tazas de café que me calentaban en las mañanas frías, del color que combina con tu piel morena.  Ahora tu mirada era mi taza de café, mi nicotina, mi adicción, mi necesidad por calor y energía.

Pero no me acordaba que las cosas cambian, que la vida es fría, y que igual que con mis tazas de café, nuestras mirada se volvieron frías, aguadas y sin sabor

Ahora, me gusta el café un poco más oscuro y con un toque de azúcar para endulzar mi pobre alma, aquella que solo busca el desvelo de cada noche, una más fría que la otra….

The first time I saw him, it was through the glass window of the space that he moved into right around the corner. I thought it was a weird spot to move into but shrugged it off because it was none of my business.

The first time I met him, he was wearing the exact pattern of red and black plaid that I’ve been looking for whenever I shop. I stared at it and felt a little defeated that someone found it before I did! But I made no comment.

The first time I spoke to him, I thought nothing much of him at first. the words I used to describe him were “ordinary, typical, run-of-the-mill”. He was…simple. he spoke like he would steal those cheesy catchphrases like “she was like a shot of espresso” — which is what Andrew Garfield said about Emma Stone. And so I walked out of there as if it was just another Monday.

Several Mondays and cheesy catchphrases later, that little place around the corner that was made of brick started to feel more comfortable, and I saw him more often. Slowly, I realized that there is some charm in simplicity. Eventually, I stopped using the words “ordinary, typical, run-of-the-mill”, and I started using the word: familiar. There is so much comfort in the familiar.

At this point in time I seem to always find myself back at that familiar little brick place around the corner. at the end of each day, I go there hoping to find solace. And I always do. If I was into those cliché phrases I would describe it as a warm cup of hot chocolate after a long, rainy drive. It’s a fireplace during a snowstorm. But saying those cheesy catchphrases would be really lame of me, so…

If I were to put into words how I now feel about this person… This must be how it feels when people are looking for a new place to move into. They have this image of their dream house or fantasy apartment. maybe they picture a place with a marble countertop, a dining table made of mahogany, and a ceiling high enough to hang a glass chandelier from. But then, just as they had given up on searching for that dream place, they come across this little cottage made of brick and hardwood floors. There is a leather couch in the middle. They take a seat. Suddenly, they can picture their life there so clearly: nothing but the pitter-patter of the rain drumming on the window pane, the sound of the coffee machine running in the background, and a slice of chocolate cake waiting for them in the refrigerator. It was the familiar feeling of comfort after a tiring day. It was so far from what they had first pictured, but they are absolutely certain that they want to make a home here.

That is how he feels to me now. So far from what I had pictured, but certainly where I want to be at the end of each day. But the funniest part of all of this is: He was the one that arrived there in the first place. He was the one who moved into that quaint little building around the corner. He was the one who found me. And I am the one waiting here; hoping he finds a home within me.

how many times have I sat in a cafe alone

empty chairs to keep me company.

with a brave face, and tensed brows

trying to look past the hazy blur that
seems to have caught me in trance.

sipping on the bitter coffee to remind me there's something to live for

and finish before I leave here, be gone for maybe what could be my last time

of sitting alone in a cafe, of people and chatter to keep me company,


I used to like it here.

It was nine
The weather was cold
I went to the classic café
And ordered my favorite coffee

Afterwards, I saw you in the corner
Who would have thought
We will meet again
After years

In the same place
Where we met once
And decided to part ways
--------------------------------------------

Maybe one day
We’d run into each other
Outside a cafe like this
In the heart of Paris

Two strangers who have
been in love for years

Andrus