Sacred air

 What's Going On invited us to focus on an event that was (or would be) a break from everyday routine.  One with friends. 

Sacred air

We settle on worn wooden chairs
with soft satin cushions.
Sunrays tiptoe across the floor,
casting playful rainbows
on polished surfaces.

We’ve left the chaos outside
rushing traffic, wailing sirens,
a world tangled in turmoil.

You warm your hands
around a hot cappuccino
in the hush of a friend’s company.
Daily this and that’s spill out
like soft splashes of coffee.
Words flow freely.
Stories deepen.

Then the mood shifts.
You tease, gently,
as your friend
measures her sugar like a scientist.
She takes the bait
we chuckle in harmony.

The cafe lights up.
Time dissolves.
You land in this soft place
and pull out a poem
from your pocket.

With a trembling voice,
you reveal your truth.
Together, you sink into silence.

The light dims.
The day exhales
having inhaled sacred air.