Cantina?

the new coffee joint opened last week

called: “the Cantina”.

that was of interest to me so I travelled

west to Main then south to Plain Street

to get to “the Cantina”.

inside it looked like every other

coffee spot I’d ever known

absent “Carmella’s diner”

which has been seared to my fascination

for some 65 years.

"the Cantina” come to find out

was owned and operated by one: Fergal Leary

born of Irish parentage who had a place on

Oak Grove Avenue for all of Fergal's young life.

I held my disappointment in check and ordered

coffee at the counter, drank it, got a grilled

cheese with tomato on rye to travel, paid the tab,

left a sizable but disgruntled tip and beat it back

from whence I came.

vignette?