7.05.2011

Coffee with Company, Change for Strangers Pt. 2

He took his coffee with a heavy dose of cream, as usual.  “Picked up this habit from my cousin in England”, he reminded me.  

He was no ordinary guy.  You know, those guys you politely agree to coffee with a few times, then soon forget.  I’ve grown quite fond of that habit.  So fond, I’ve caught myself several times plotting a proper exit strategy before things got too familiar.  But this was an exception.  He was no ordinary guy. 

“Do you mind if I have a cigarette”, he asked me. 

I never did mind.  He smoked for the exact same reason my father did; back when I use to step outside and sit with him. 

He didn’t do it to look cool.  He didn’t do it to look cheap.  He didn’t do it because he needed to feed an addiction.  We both knew this was no addiction.

He smoked a pack a day because he needed that time to step outside and think.  He did this because it gave him a few minutes away from himself.  He smoked like a chimney because it gave him 20 chances a day to pay close attention to the direction in which the wind was shifting. 

Now, making a conscious effort to exhale in a way that would not leave a hint of ash settling my path, he caught the draft at a perfect angle and released his stress in the opposite direction.  

He always looked good that way. 

To whom it may concern,

          I apologize for the fact that I will never have enough courage to send you my complete thoughts, but please hear me out.  

If it’s a change in which you're seeking, I would move you to the beat of a drum.


If it's a push that you are needing, I would hold you parallel, for you'll never be alone.


If it's truth that you are missing, I'll persuade you until you don't leave a trace.


And if it's distance that keeps you waiting, three-thousand miles ain't all that rough.

There’s no home for you here. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved this.

le sophia said...

perfect.

Caroline said...

I love the way you describe him.