The Long Coffee Break

 

The months tilt toward their own horizon,

and I can feel the gentle pull -

not quite an ending, more

a change in scenery.

I’ll miss the office in ways

that will surprise me:

the first coffee cooling on my desk,

the hallway laughter like wind chimes,

even the stubborn printer,

which seemed to take each paper jam personally.

But beyond those glass doors

wait mornings with no clock to argue with -

my son and daughter’s voices

carried over the kitchen table,

grandkids tumbling like bright marbles

across the carpet.

There will be fishing trips

where the fish are merely a rumor,

day drives to places whose names

sound like they were invented by poets,

and the sudden luxury of lingering -

at rivers, in conversations, in the middle of the afternoon.

Work is good.

But this next chapter -

will be just a longer lunch break,

with better company,

and no one asking if I got their email.

GBS

2024