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I didn’t write this in a café, but I did a lot of work leading up to it there. This poem is part of a poem a day event for April 2012 run by Robert Lee Brewer in his Poetry Asides bog at Writer’s Digest.

During April 2012 I opened the local Starbucks in our mall at 7am. I read and wrote poetry. It was National Poetry Month, so it kind of made sense. I don’t consider myself a poet, though, so this month was a jump into a cold, strange lake for me.

On this day, April 3rd, I went for my coffee before I knew the daily prompt. I spent the time watching and writing words. I divided my page up into nouns, verbs, and adjectives and filled up the sections. I accumulated about 75 words that morning. When I read the topic, I started writing imediately. I spent all of five minutes on it, but I have made minor edits since. Here is my latest version. Of course it’s about someone sitting in Starbucks, a young man.

A Girl in a Hoodie

You flittered by
with your click clacking high heels
and swinging blonde ponytail,
throwing expletives at the distinguished
businessman following you,
his dark rimmed Poindexters pouring over
your waddling perkiness

I’m glad you didn’t look at me
sitting, chatting with the empty chairs
and large policemen grappling
their morning caffeine fixes.
Fuzz with a buzz you called them,
no respect in your voice.

Oh how you hated the brown bagged bellies
and apathetic gazes of my world.
And how I hated yours,
the lotto booth looks,
the knitting basket banter,
and the pink baseball hat Friday night drinks.

I prefer the Joan Jett stroll,
a girl with confidence in her attitude,
a voice with character and opinion.
I want a girl in a hoodie