I see her in the cafe 
She’s sitting on her own 
Like me. 
A cup of coffee
Rests in front of her
Lines huddle in the space between her brows
They’re furrowed now
In some private grief or anxiety 
Only her cup knows for sure
As she stares into the darkness within 
Her lips tremble for a moment 
Just a bit. She takes a quick sip
Of the vitalising potion
Swallowing her emotions
Down they both go
The sadness and the coffee
Lingering on the inside now 
I feel my heart go out to her 
It hovers around her table 
Softly, silently, wordlessly 
I want to follow too
But we are strangers 
It wouldn’t do 
She looks up. She sees me
I smile and then I look away guiltily 
Outside the window 
And then down at my own cup of tea 

I see her looking at me 
Just a glance, a little look 
Then away from the nook
I am sitting at 
But that little exchange is everything 
Even in that whisper 
Of a gaze, that smile 
I feel her compassion 
Shimmering around me
Gently, silently, comfortingly  
I look at her as she sits there
In her wheelchair 
Reminding me that frailty 
Is never on the outside 
Her own courage shining bright
Has skipped across the room 
Transforming into a tenderness
Shattering my spell of gloom
My heart lifts and wafts out to her 
I want to follow after 
But we are strangers 
I turn back to my cup
And I smile
I hesitate just for a while 
And then I beam across the room to her 
My heart now light with gratefulness 
Lit up by a beautiful stranger