Morning Coffee

It's a ritual that friends have.

Coffee together every morning.

There is plenty of animated conversation.

There are five of them, such good friends.

They sit on the carbide cans 

in front of the post office

in a small country town.

There's always a few extra carbide cans.

So sometimes I joined them for coffee.

But mostly I just listened to 

the news they shared

about moments in their lives

that were important to them.

Eventually they would look at me

with a look that said it's your turn.

I chose my words carefully

because soon my words

would be added to the morning news.