Poetry: Perpetually Single and Waiting (In a Coffee Shop) by Yoda Olinyk

By Yoda Olinyk

This is how a love story starts,
isn’t it? You’ve heard it before.

Girl meets girl at coffee shop

It’s romantic enough already.

But six months from now
when we’re at a cocktail party together
we will tell the story of how we met
and we’ll make it even sweeter
than the lemon laced raspberry scones 
from that coffee shop that day.

We’ll make it dreamier. Frothier.

I’ll go first.

I’ll tell the story of 
how I was there, waiting 
for someone else.
(A guy named Mo.)
(Who stood me up.)
I’ll tell the story of 
how I’d waited for 15 minutes
wondering if perhaps 
perhaps 
he came and saw me 
and left.
I’ll tell you
how while I waited 
I wondered 
about what he might think of my hair,
the shirt I chose,
the sneakers I wore… 
how for a moment
I wish I went with heels…
but what kind of lunatic wears high heels
to a coffee shop
for a first date?
Perhaps he is caught in traffic 
and is embarrassed to be late.

I could check my phone,
but I already decided 
not to give him an out.
I decide instead to enjoy my mint tea 
and my raspberry scone 
and people watch a little longer.
I saw you and thought
This will all be worth it 
if I could just catch her gaze.

I’ll tell the story of 
how I eventually rose from my seat, 
in my beat up burgundy sneakers 
and left the coffee shop,
perpetually single for yet another day.
How I hastily, clumsily bumped into you 
on your way inside.

You will tell the story of 
how you’d actually been staring at me 
for a full 15 minutes, 
wondering how anyone could stand me up,
and that you’d timed our meet-cute 
perfectly.

It wasn’t fate.
It wasn’t God.
It was just coffee,
and two girls.