The Julien Poems #2: Men in Checks

I peek through buffalo-laced curtains
Lacing milk into my tea by the kitchen sink
Hoping to catch a sinking glimpse of Julien
Returning home from a milk run

He’d tip his newsboy cap
In courtesy and contemplation
Greeting by-standers by the paper stand
Crossing columns filled with cryptic clues

And when little milk-toothed kids
Were chased by piercing canines
He’d shield them with his houndstooth coat—
Part of his daily grind

A regular at the club
In his classic argyle style
Trading light banter with his mates
With moves of a grandmaster

I still sit by the sill
Hoping to catch his frame
In a single windowpane—
Clouded by the steam of my tea

~Poem 39

Author’s Note: Read the first part in this series here.