Coffee House Hell

The shiny lure that caught my eye:
“This location offers FREE Wi-Fi”.
The mood of the place was hard to tell,
Being lost in bread and espresso smells.

I order, then wiggle to corner booth,
where I sat with my laptop in hand.
I surprised myself by actually enjoying
the bounce some nameless jazz band.

Yet soon the band and voices grate;
And becomes a low hum that rattles me.
I must work, think, emote, and write –
ah, but first, my online RPG.

Headphones in place, I turn myself on;
digital worlds of magic and swords.

With Einstein proved right,
glows of computer light –
are where hours become absorbed.

Flashing awake to the smells,
the jazz band wails, “Oh, baby, take me back!”.
To blend with the sound, a blur of sights all around –
(Hmm, that barista sure has a nice rack!)

Shaking my head, a sip of coffee and bite of bread,
forgetting my coffee’s gone cold.
Looking down at my keys, wish my brain didn’t freeze–
damn, but I hate getting old.

Wow, this place is distracting,
Why’d I come here again?
Of course, the Wi-Fi was free.
Free Wi-Fi, old friend.

Can’t work at home,
too quiet, and alone.
So, to the jazz and coffee smells.

I wonder a lot about the coffee I got.
(sigh) Should this feel so much like Hell?

Maybe the words in my obituary will be:
“The cause of his death - mediocrity.”