A Cafe Off Princess Street
There was once a cafe off Princess Street
That served hot drinking chocolate and pastries to eat.
With its central location
and its warm susurration,
It was Edinburgh's perfect winter retreat.
On a day that was cold, rainy, and gray,
In walked our protagonist, Cynthia May.
She ordered her drink,
Sat down to think,
And took a break from the wintry spray.
Her life was a mess, she would admit.
She and her boyfriend had just split.
She was lost in a fog,
Each day was a slog.
She couldn't imagine a world where she fit.
Things couldn't get worse. They simply could not.
Even her mug of chocolate wasn't that hot.
A boy bumped her shoulder.
Her chocolate spilled over.
Soaking the sweater she'd newly bought.
"I am terribly sorry," he gasped in alarm.
"I promise I didn't mean any harm."
She gazed up, offended.
But that quickly ended.
Stunned to silence by his luminous charm.
Rather than anger, she dissolved into tears.
She hadn't dare cry in too many years.
Her words came out broken,
Gulped and not spoken.
Feeling the sting of her greatest fears.
"I'll grab a few napkins," he said, turning away.
Then glanced back at our Cynthia May.
He shot her a wink;
Her cheeks flushed pink.
For a moment, she forgot her dread and dismay.
Along with the napkins, he brought her a tart
She tried to still her twittering heart.
He pulled up a chair,
She mouthed a quick prayer.
From that moment, they were hardly apart.
Winter turned Spring turned Summer turned Fall.
Together, they dashed and waltzed through them all.
Their love was a fire.
It burned ever higher.
Until they fell to winter's unyielding squall.
And so, once again, our dear Cynthia May
Found herself at that quaint, cozy cafe.
She sat alone at a table,
Her life less than stable
When true love walked in the doorway.
Not her first love or second, but third love's the charm.
Though she guarded her heart from possible harm.
This time, she bumped him;
Cup filled to the brim.
A torrent of chocolate covered his arm.
Their love took a slow and cautious pace
For each had suffered a passionate race.
He was quiet, sturdy, and kind.
Valued her beauty and her mind.
They carefully built a life of joy and grace.
Days and months and years spent with glee
Bending for each other like the branch of a tree.
Until one final time, our Cynthia May
Found herself at the chocolate cafe.
Where she found Jack with ring and bent knee.
Of course, she said, "Yes," but as she did
Off the table, she knocked a cup with no lid
Both were covered toe to head
So even after they were wed
He would tease, and he would kid.
There was a cafe off Princess Street
Where friends and lovers tended to meet
If you go, beware
You may find chocolate in your hair
But that won't be your only treat.
NYC Midnight 2023 Rhyming Story
Round 2 Prompts: Romantic Comedy | Creature Comforts | Gleeful
Result: Honorable Mention #2
