"A Pause Of Wishing..."

Archival Bookstore and Grand River Coffee Sop - Lansing, Mi

I had a stopover - one of those pauses you take to better appreciate where you are.  I visited with a crowd of thousands... most old - some friends, some not, some old-to-be-new-friends, some newer-to-soon-become-old-friends, and yes some I won't touch with another's hand.  I found and passed "The Archival Bookstore", then missed it twice during the do-overs!

It was like a scene involving muggles (me) and magykal places (everyone else).  It was right THERE but damnit it took three seperate tries to get back and over to where that THERE was.  Like having a taste of the "Now you see it - and nevermore...".  After parking and meandering to the Door - It was discovering an old friend again.  The scent of a USED book store is unlike any other - especially when its the older books.  Life treats 'ancients' in a way few comprehend - until they do it themselves and thereafter actually notice.  Battered, hidden away in dark, mouldy, mildewy-spaces.  Shelved-AWAY, crammed-squeezed in dark-tight corners, nooks, hidey-holes, and under ANY and EVERY THING!  Stacked in stacks, behind-other-stacks, most haven't seen the light of ANY day in more years than most readers have breathed.

I wandered tight spaces and smiled as I passed (and touched) some special friends.  You get lost in timelessness and to ensure the circle was complete... They interconnected an indoor-outdoor cafe to the place, "The Grand River Coffee Cafe".  TRAPPED!!! Wi-fi infused - I won't even go into the variety of NON-STARBUCKS-actually-TASTING-GOOD!!-Coffee and Lattes-from-hell.  And of course, there were ALL the lil add-ons - snippets and snacks awesomely calorie-enthused-weight-watcher-dreams-of sinfully bright places.  Yeah, trapped... and TIED to a used book store - FIENDISH!!

This IS a college campus town and the latest crop had inveigled a well-mixed presence equal to their numbers.  Laptops in mushroom quantities and cafe-seating, even MORE than a smattering of old-comfy grandparents'-type ARMed-chairs - suitably abused by the latest inhabitants as they always were by US when we 'visited'.  And you COULD breathe-in the SCENT-of-LIFE intermingled meaningfully with the 'Age-of-any-CONTENT-Discontent'.  Thankfully, there was no Baklava... though the way the counter staff eyes seemed to light-up - perhaps I shouldn't even THINK of asking on the next visit.

"A Pause Of Wishing..."

A pocket-sized remembrance
  of "Winnie..." by Milne,
  found and
held my hand as I wandered
  all the old-places.

Baum's Original - OZs - all of them
  near a century aged
  and the line-art - in place!

Older, younger
thought-full
mind-full
visions and versions
of sooooo many we's
AND
uncountedable I's
touched these...

Toasted-almond coffee.

Mugs to cry over
  fall in
    and tease about...

Whispers and echos
some to hear, some just to BE,
and some seem to even have clues -
to their tomorrows.

Chocolate dreams -
Indian Autumns, leaves
- still breathing,
eyes still dreaming -
worlds' explorers being
  children - remembering
    where they haven't been
and the taste of yesterdays,
the scents of tomorrows...
home.

Chris

Author's Note

Good Coffee

Reviews

[olla]

they are wonderful places.. old book stores..

[Georgia Gypsy]

I have a fondness of Old bookstore's, and am so happy that a local one has a poetry night once a month....its very hard to go and not browse, fondly touching spines and reading titles, and hoping for that singular treasure I didn't know i needed. This gave me many smiles as i read....thank you for that!!!

Kelli

[sharonlee]

...You speak of enchantments too few know of or understand.... thank you for this...it took me to a really warm place in my soul.
Shar

[Barbara H.]

I hunt these places out on backstreets and backroads. I HAVE that Milne. It has a red rag cover and fits just outside the palm.

[Kenneth The Poet]

Coffee good, coffee good, coffee good and stuff.

[Teri B]

I take my coffee with hazelnut creamer and chocolate! Frou-frou...I know! *smiles* I'm not a fan of Starbucks -- does that make me a Philistine?

A great cup o' joe and a great book...who could ask for more?

[Ed Hart]

you serve great coffee

[Phibby Venable]

beyond great to exceptional, chris~ look your writing

[masqued_muse]

Hahaha..this is so kool,Chris..cuz every damn scent, flavor, nuance, expression is so you. You make me want coffee....when I don't want coffee.Superb....
masqued>.>