A Town by the Sea in September

by Tobi Alfier

The tourists are all back to work

and damn—the townies are tired.

Tired of cash of all sizes and colors,

languages to decipher, habits off-key,

not the way things are done here.

Cracked and worn faces fall away,

gentle music of chats between neighbors

almost outweigh the bank accounts.

The season is finally over.

At the patio edge of Café de la Plage

rests a table set for one. There sits a woman,

a glass of rosé reflects high up her collar bone,

matches cheeks the blush of too much sun.

She orders salade nicoise in an understandable

and humble accent. Pays the right way;

a few extra centimes on the tray.

No one knows her story.

No one asks.

She keeps to herself, watches

the old men who fish the pier,

young mothers with children, bottoms

collecting sand as they reach for shells.

You can almost sing her damaged beauty

as the hour of regret begins to peek

over the horizon. One more rosé on the house,

a small kindness and thanks for September.

The sandy children chase lightning bugs.

* * * * *

" A Town by the Sea in September" was first published in Cholla Needles (May 2020).

Tobi Alfier is a multiple Pushcart nominee and multiple Best of the Net nominee. “Slices of Alice & Other Character Studies” was published by Cholla Needles Press. “Symmetry: earth and sky” was just published by Main Street Rag. She is co-editor of San Pedro River Review (www.bluehorsepress.com).