Sunday Morning at the Pacific Way Bakery
That was before Uncle Henry came back from the war.
It was?
Yes. Remember, we took the trip across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. All of us…six of us in Dad's Buick.
The first one.
A few years ago? Ocean's Eleven? We saw that one.
No. The one with Frank Sinatra. Frank. He knew how to do it. Those young kids just…
Sit here.
Noooo. I want Mommy to sit here.
But I want to sit next to you.
You do?
(furious nodding)
Oh.
A pause. Quiet envelopes the room. Everyone taking a bite, a sip, a breath.
A couple reads the paper at the circular table in the midst of everything. He in his gray windbreaker; she in her bright yellow slicker. He turns the page with a snap, and it begins again.
Have you been across the new bridge?
Why do they remake the good ones?
Can you believe they are getting along this morning?
Sitting in the corner with my chocolate croissant and vanilla soy latte, I soak it in. The little four year old in me, with the big brown eyes, pulling it all toward me.
When the rain stops, we grab my coffee, his tea and walk outside as the steam lifts the sea and the crocuses and the daffodils and the pavement toward me. I suddenly hear myself, It smells like Spring in South Carolina.
And it does
And you are here
I breathe deeply knowing it has happened again
The eve of Spring whispers her song
Returning you to me
poem notes
Reader Comments (7)
beautiful.
very.
it does not, alas, smell like spring yet in western north carolina. but the birds are singing, even with the biting gusts of wind.
daddy asks me every time we talk, every night, when i am coming home.
i don't think it smells like spring there yet, either, but we talk about it a lot. xo
What a lovely, intimate little film ... your words were like a Super 8 camera. Brilliant me friend ... xx, JP/deb
oh...i loved this...
especially on a morning like this
morning,
where school is cancelled
and i wait to see if i am
going to have to make the 45 minute
trudge into work...
where the air is cold
and there is no sign of buds anywhere...
where snow is mixed with freezing rain and freezing rain is mixed with ice pellets...
your words make me feel warm.
this was glorious
and mouth watering
and so cozy
cozy
how very lovely ... love to you, xo
Beautiful and sweet.
That little bakery is one of my very favorite places on earth and your words capture it so well. Perfect!