she pours coffee again

into pale empty mugs

the American kind

filtered and light

there are words of course in Polish

you think you understand –

black and white

hello and goodbye –

so you want to tell her

in your country Polish

is the second most common

language spoken

and in the cold air exhaust fumes

make you think of Baltic fog

but her mind is on pirogi

and chicken wings

in the bar across the street

with Steelers fans rejoicing

and 4x4 pick-ups

humming gently in the lot

Alan Jude Moore is the author of three collections of poetry: Black State Cars, Lost Republics and Strasbourg (Salmon Poetry). His new collection, Zinger, is due out later this year.