I came as an outsider to Café Teatro
Sitting all alone for several mornings
Until the day he said please come join us.
With a broad smile and the tenor of his voice
Leaving no doubt he was genuine,
I was thus cordially welcomed.
We would sit with the other Grinders,
but soon I surmised a pleasant surprise
That this was no ordinary gentleman.
He began to expound about pool pumps,
Troublesome private roads and neighbors,
Along with heavy footing through the Grapevine.
A devoted family man and stalwart at Santa Maria,
He’s comfortable en español and on a hard court,
And has paid his dues working SF public schools.
As a babe, he hailed from Tegucigalpa;
And while in the Zone, he tooted his horn
Serenading snakes in the dense, dark forest.
In service to country, the lieutenant went north
To sing Qui tolis peccata mundi on the tundra
Amid defending the arctic cold war front.
A pick of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber,
He earned himself a symphony spot
As he tutored young future baritones.
To some he became known as the one who
Once stared pock-marked Manuel down
As the strongman waded menacingly ashore.
But what always matters most is
Carl’s perfect octave of decades
That regales us as we sit drinking coffee.
© 2021, Kenneth Koziol. All rights reserved.
