Coffee Break

Artwork by Amina

Inside, the stillness turned stagnant,
the brew in her veins froze to stone.
Outside, the traffic was buzzing,
though the chill had entered her bone.

The smiling attendant saw nothing,
as he called her name out loud,
then he sliced off a bit of chocolate cake,
wove his way past the crowd.

She sat on the tray, sweet and bitter,
the icing still soft on the bone.
He pierced the fork into the softness
but stopped before hitting the stone.

She waited for the moment he would swallow her,
then smashed into his jaw.
The attendant stopped smiling a moment,
then noticed the broken door.

How come, in that mindless crowd,
no one had noticed before?

Menka Shivdasani is a noted Indian English poet.
This poem was submitted to The Daily Star for publication.