A Cafe Here In Town

by Allan C. Clark

The doors are closed and locked
Tight as a coffin's lid.
Faded curtains block the sun.
But, then, they always did.

The smells of smoke and beer
Still linger in the air.
The espresso maker's hissing ghost
Now haunts the darkness there.

My thoughts hold many pictures
And I still can hear the sounds
Of the life that I once knew there
In a cafe here in town.

We learned about the people -
To read them at a glance.
We'd figure what they'd order
Before they'd had the chance!

Oh what a time we had there!
(The regulars and me)
We sang 'til way past closing
('cause then the drinks were free!)

All the lessons that I learned,
All the good friends that I found
Are locked within my memory
Like the cafe here in town.