Coffee and Change

It was a long drive
and I was tired.
Not just physically,
but emotionally too.
My eyes began to droop
with the setting sun.
But like Robert Frost,
I’ve got miles to go
before I sleep.
So I pulled into a diner,
some shitty side of the road place
where the sign out front
and the waitress serving tables
were both burned out,
and I was right there with them.
I put two quarters on the counter
and asked for a large black coffee to go.
I hate black coffee.
I hate having to go go go go.
But, maybe the combination
of caffeine and bitterness
will help keep me awake.
The waitress winked at me
as she handed me my order.
With a grin,
I headed back on the road.
Just me
the smell of coffee and spare change
with a phone number scribbled
on my receipt.