Friday 13 February 2009

Lurching Towards Valentine


This story begins
- and ends -
innocently enough
at Café Central.

A quick look into Demel's
reveals the same scenario
of calm serenity,
gentlemen drinking coffee,
reading the paper.
Unperturbed.

None of these gentlemen
wasted a thought about fairies
hard at work creating
hearts of chocolate.

No one knows
what was on the windmills
of their minds.

These gentlemen
went about their daily routines
and simply missed the signs!
Heart blind.

Even paper birch logs
in a florist's shop
were wearing hearts,
but no one cared.

A heart-shaped wreath
pleaded for attention,
holding tight to a big red bow,
yet no one looked.

"Je t’aime passionnément"
a trio of marzipan hearts cried out,
clinging to a chocolate bar.
And no one listened.

Tragic, this heart blindness,
in a city that once upon a time
was known for the Goldene Wiener Herz
- Viennese hearts supposedly of gold!
All that's left
is a few flecks of gold leaf on top of
50 grams of solid chocolate,
on sale for Euro 4.80!

Hearts for sale
by the paper bag full!
And yet, no takers.

Love and Stories
"Don't you just love it?"
Love what!
"Tiffany's!"
It seems none of these gentlemen
has ever even heard of Holly Golightly.

For all they cared
they would rather have a heisse Wurst
for breakfast,
two blocks away from Tiffany's!

They wouldn't even notice
the flower pots with the little white hearts
right next to their left elbow!

Tired of these heartless souls,
I walked right back to Café Central.
A vase with tulips on the grand piano,
a melange and a moment or two
in perfect solitude
was what I really needed
after all.

19 comments:

  1. 1 PM there
    8 AM here
    Plenty of time to go out for: Breakfast at Tiffany's,
    Cafe Central,
    Demel,
    Doll Florist,
    Irisgasse,
    Paris Breakfasts(?),
    Patisserie,
    Tiffany,
    Xocolat,
    Zum Schwarzen Kameel...
    NOT FAIR!!!
    Viva le time change

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  2. .

    PARIS BREAKFASTS,
    I hate to correct you, Carol,
    but there's a six (!) hour time difference between New York and Vienna, meaning I am running into serious time conflicts here, it being already 2pm, and I still got miles to go before I sleep! ;-)

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  3. I wonder if the gentlemen are keeping a low profile because it is Friday 13th?

    Another very imaginative post from you!

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  4. Thank you again, Merisi, for making me feel like I just spent some time in Vienna. If I could only wander daily through such beautiful places in St.Paul, MN.

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  5. One tends to forget the day when one has no one to ignore ;)

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  6. Ah!
    I spotted the little camel!

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  7. Love this post! None of them with hearts on their minds? Well, what do they know!?

    As always, love the tulips--my favorites...Happy Valentine's weekend, Merisi!

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  8. .
    WANDRING STAR,
    oh, I should have known! :-)
    And thank you.

    EILEEN,
    you are welcome! :-)
    Saint Paul, Fitzgerald Theater,
    Prairie Home Compagnion, Garrison Keillor - I always wanted to visit there one day. ;-)

    MOJO,
    there is some wisdom to these words. ;-)

    ELIZABETH,
    you are a winner! :-)

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  9. Only the rare ones notice. Those hearts are all for women's eyes only.. or so it would seem. Beautiful photography and words. As always, you capture the essence of every mood. :)

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  10. Poetry in motion. Heart blind...those are powerful words Merisi.
    Happy Valentines Day tomorrow and enjoy your few moments of solitude and a melange.

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  11. *sigh*
    I hope there is a little romance left.

    Beautiful desserts - so much work must have gone into each one.

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  12. I loved this post! This is my first visit, and I enjoy your writing style. :)

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  13. Cool blog! I love it! Thanks for stopping by my blog, you're welcome there anytime.

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  14. Happy Valentine's day , Merisi !!

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  15. as always - you are an afrtist, the way you combine photos and words

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  16. Vielen Dank, Merisi! Gibt es den Stand also doch noch :-)

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  17. solitude? its the best....

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  18. Merisi , what a wonderful post! I would so love a bunch or two or three of Lily of the Valley, One of my favourite spring flowers and try as I may, it is too dry to grow themm here. In Melbourne there was a street stand where I could get them but 40 years of being the the driest Stat in the driest Continent has left my heart aching for just one sniff.

    Thank you for your kind wishes recently.

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  19. Mmmmmm.... Hearts and tulips. most wonderful.

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