come, stay and let's talk. it's a good day to be alive
it was a small, but a clean flat restaurant
with a picture of Venice port on the wall
I’d walk up to the counter and ask for
chicken shawarma
they’d ask if I wanted all
and indeed I wanted them all
fluffy fresh dough bread covered in sandy grains
even softer melted white mozzarella
on top of juicy chicken meat
laid around crispy and watery vegetables
that mixed and mingled into a harmony
I remember the shawarma
I ate with a can of Red Bull
after a work out in an underground gym
5.3.2022
I was sitting on a wooden chair
next to a wide balcony window
through which sunlight like
golden desert sand beamed softly
basking in the light I read a book
and across the table was my mom
reading her book in silence
I don’t know why
but it was the warmest moment.
5.2.2022
I almost died first time I rode ski
tired of baby blue diamond tracks
I jumped hoops into black diamond
perhaps my youthful pride veiled steepness
soon I’d learn alacrity turned despair
as speed picked up, and tears shed from eyes
because of speed or the fear I did not know
as others watched me forlornly
I realized this pair of ski were without mercy
it would not spare a chance to stop,
the luxury of all crawling things.
thankfully, I pocketed into a parking lot
with trembling hands, I pulled out
loose cigarettes (I was still smoking then)
and puffed a few white clouds of relief
which stopped the shaking of hands
and I returned to the baby blue diamonds
with a fairly good amount of relief
5.1.2022
I realized coffee was elusive
chic and smooth aroma tricks
coffeelovers to become blind
to chains of addiction and workaholism
I wondered what business coffee had
to come all the way here (from Africa?)
to be served in a petite ivory cup
pocketed like a little dark secret (America?)
I take a sip of the black liquid
as the sun rises again.
4.30.2022
Ralph with Coffee 