At this table
I join my fellow flannel members
With a coffee in one hand,
And guitar in the other,
a feeling of endless possibilities.
I used to study love from the outside—
watched it dance in front of fireplaces,
and walk through pumpkin patches.
heard it whispered through high school hallways
And wisp away in homecoming asks.
It looked safe sometimes.
Other times, like surrender.
I wrote songs. I thought I understood.
Then one day,
I met the girl who brought those songs to life.
The coffee ran colder,
the conversations lasted longer,
but soon every first love must come to an end.
And when she left,
I finally understood the quiet moment
after every chorus I’d ever sung.
The patient seconds,
of learning that some people come to show you
how deeply you can feel—
not how long you can stay.
Every moment and first glance,
A story forever told yet briefly lived.
A lesson to always remember
In making every moment last.
Sincerely,
The Barista of Broken Hearts
John Valverde
