love letter to the coffee shop

Arielle Arbushites

it doesn’t matter which one —
the shabby, semi-dark, delicious cave
tucked away in the side street
or the bustling, bold, slightly-too-big venue
in the center of town

the adoration lies in the mismatched tables,
the bohemian rugs,
the coffee-stained pages of well-loved books,
the gentle, familiar, music that plays
just quietly enough to say
welcome home, come, sit down, take a break
from life for a few sacred sips,
the warmth that flows from souls and mugs,
claiming residency, flying a soft banner
of acceptance, community, and shared emotion
no matter what the emotion is—
joy, despair, loneliness,
or simply the chase for something more

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Arielle Arbushites
Arielle Arbushites is many things, but above all she is a mother and a licensed social worker who has been a writer all her life. She has mainly published poetry on social platforms and lit mags, but also debuted a short poetry collection in 2024 entitled cracking at the heels. Arielle creates custom poetry on the spot for folks searching for human connection and performs spoken word poetry in her local community.