These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Joe's Outpost on Coffee Cherry Moon

Awake, but barely so
I drifted upright like the closing of a Murphy bed
on the park bench, that had been my cot for the night.

I staggered over the ridge to find my favorite bush,
but it was not there. What I found staggered me.

There were groves and groves of coffee trees,
ripe with bright red cherries,
ready to fall to the ground.

I had never seen anything like this on Earth.
Caffeine-headache and all, I shook myself,
"This isn't Earth!"

Noticing a squatty little building, (not even a full story high,)
about a hundred yards away, I trudged in its direction,
hoping to locate something to eat.

Not much to see on that side, I thought.
It's just a coffee brown wall.
Fighting my cranial throbbing,
I plodded on, and turned the corner.

There in five-inch letters was a sign in cream-color
on that same coffee brown background.
"Joe's Outpost."

Maybe, Joe can help me to get something to eat.

I wasn't wrong.

Finally inside, past the little hand-scrawled note,
"Watch your head, or it'll be a nasty tumble down a flight of steps."

Gingerly down the steps, I made my way to the bar.
"Are you, Joe?"
"Yup. What'll you have?"
"First, where am I?"
"You're on Coffee Cherry Moon. I see you finally woke up."
"Have I been here before?"
"Just last night. You missed my note to watch your head."
"Must be why it's throbbing so much this morning."
"You were out like a light."
"How did I get to the bench in the park?"
"Stirring Stick carried you."
"Stirring Stick?"
"My 6'5" bouncer. Thought the fresh air would do you good."
"I guess. Can I get something to eat?"
"What'll you have?"
"That big muffin with the chocolate chips."
"Anything else?"
"A Venti coffee with a lot of Half & Half. Ow, my head."
"You did bump your noggin', but I'm sure you got a caffeine hang-over, too."

No sooner had I taken a big ol' bite of that luscious muffin,
washing it down with the best coffee I had ever tasted,
then my alarm rang. It was time to get up for work.

Boy, do I ever need coffee, I thought,
pin-balling down the hallway.

by Jay O’Toole
on August 9th, 2021