Even though
I am sitting here at this cafe
All alone
I am not
I am comforted
By the stories that cloud my head
From each and every passerby
Each has their own tale trailing behind them like dust
Dust that falls upon me
And comforts me
Even in my solitude
Because I am alone
But I am not lonely

I am not lonely
When I see a couple in each other’s arms
As they wait for tea
To cool the fires that burn inside them
Soothing to think
That even the coldest drink
Cannot extinguish what they have for each other

I am entranced by the woman with the hijab
Who seems so free
In a world where most will
Look upon here as an oddity

I am not alone
Like the man who sits typing away
On his computer screen
Maybe composing the next
American novel
Or just writing a list of dreams

So yes
The seat in front of me
May be empty
But my heart is not
My mind is bursting
With company
There’s enough noise around here
Inside myself and out
I have stories for ages
But I do long
For the couple hand in hand
The freedom of the girl
The ambition of the man
So I’ll live through their stories
All in my head