I often sit in a café, alone,
Stirring sugar to make it dissolve
In the bottom of the mug
To take the bitterness from the coffee.
Maybe a cake, or a biscuit or two
To nibble on while the liquid cools.

My eyes always wander to the people passing by
You have to have a window seat if you're sitting on your own.

Some are trudging, laden down with shopping,
Some are running, perhaps for a bus,
Some are talking on their phones,
And some are mumbling to themselves.

Their worries, their hopes, their fears, their joys
All of them are oblivious to me.
My phone beeps to life as I receive a message.
I see who it's from and delete without reading.

It may seem bleak, it may seem sad
But a coffee alone is sometimes a treat.
Although the coffee has to be sweet
To take the bitterness away.

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