The Coffee Queen

The Coffee Queen

 

She’s Kelly, the coffee queen
Behind the counter at Costa
She keeps her machinery clean
Knows all the names on the roster

And Kelly the coffee queen
Learns every regular’s order
Their lives, their hopes and dreams
With her own gregarious banter

Kelly the coffee queen
Wipes the worktops and takes off her hat
Walks alone to wait for the train
Has pizza and wine, alone in her flat

And by the time she’s drunk and the telly’s just crap
And it’s too dark to see the damp spots and mould
She curls up in her duvet and turns her back
On the photos of the grinning ten-year old

And in the morning she opens the shutters
Switches on and checks the machines
Smiles and greets her customers
Where she’s Kelly, their coffee queen

 

September 2023

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