People Watching

I sit quietly

observing the people around me

I inhale deeply

let the aroma of freshly  brewed coffee fill my nostrils

Too impatient to let it cool

I take a big gulp

scorching my tongue

I delight in its bitter-sweet flavor

The people at the next table

have deluded themselves into thinking they are vampires

their pale makeup and black clothes do not look out of place here

To my left

there is a man,

who appears to be homeless,

escorting a mange-ridden dog to a table

his funky odor wafts my way:

body odor, stale cigarettes, and cheap alcohol

I watch as he begins reading the newspaper he snagged from the trash can on his way in

I take  a deep drag from my cigarette

and once again  ponder the  huge leprechaun on the wall

~Melanie Blackwell