18th November,1981

A day in a spent November

It's cold outside,all of a sudden
But Suzy's waiting at the diner
Pouring black coffee over and
spilling a little as she watches a
woman outside staring at her
own reflection.

I realized I am her own and her only,
I have to board the bus and head
towards the diner, somehow.

First, a glancing look would be fine
She would not notice me taking
that corner seat from where
her face is lit in a tilted way by the sun
making episodic appearances from the window
because it's a cloudy afternoon.

Because she is distracted and that won't help
I have to order coffee, jet black and sugar free
and some pancakes with buttered toast to the
waitress who has to see a movie with her boyfriend
that night and has a nervy sense of excitement in her
oval face.

I will go up and excuse myself to Suzanne
who will be snatched away from her favorite
lostness to a condescending bewilderment and
distracted annoyance.
Can I borrow some sugar, I would say and
before she replies, Actually can I sit here
If you don't mind.

I have to sit with Suzy in that diner
before she loses herself completely
even if I have realized it 23 years too
late.

I am no Leonard Cohen,
I am no Irish singer either
but she isn't eighteen as well.

We can talk a little as the waitress would bring
us what I ordered.
She would smile, faintly as I offer her pancakes
small ones, she would like that.
It would be a while when she asks, what I do
but I have no answer to that since I came to meet
you from times ahead to tell you
Gypsy love gave you comfort
and lyrics gave you inspiration
Even if solitude can be overwhelming
You can choose to be underwhelmed
That a commoner like me can dare to
come and solve issues which
you don't seem to have and talk songs
and love and sunshine with you.

We would walk out, of the diner together
after paying the dues.
The waitress would have a wonderful night
watching "Evil dead"'s rare premiere
and the song "Tom's diner" written on the napkin
would be there in my pocket
till we talk further down the city and its parks
and midnight dwells to say its November,
November 19 1981


© Nothing Personal. March 5, 2011.

Author's Note

Suzanne Vega wrote "Tom's diner" sitting in Tom's diner on November 18, 1981.

Reviews

[Poetic Beauty]

This is a great poem and full of description. I love the imagery of sitting at a diner talking to someone you don't know. It is a concept that doesn't happen very often these days. The visuals are done well enough for me to picture them in my mind.

[.]

like the narration from a movie scene...utterly captivating..

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

A wonderful piece

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good story in the poem. Some dates will always be remembered. I like the description and detail in the poem. Some good memories are held on to to bring back a smile and a beautiful face again. Complete poem held my attention. A outstanding poem. Thank you.
Coyote