Eulogy for a Coffee Shop

My favorite coffee shop closed this weekend.

Staycation was special, not just because it was walking distance from my house, or because they served delicious, creative lattes crafted from homemade syrups, or even because of the cozy atmosphere inside and the hammocks and picnic tables beneath the big burr oak out back. Staycation was special because of the people, because of the community created by their warmth and friendliness and the genuine connections they made with their customers.

This coffee shop will be missed by so many. Soon, the little cottage they called home will be torn down so that a four-story apartment building can go up on the block instead. I can only hope a little bit of Staycation’s soul will remain, haunting the new construction with cozy vibes and the enticing aroma of their orange cardamom latte.

Yesterday, I walked over to get a coffee and hang out one last time. The place was packed with people coming to say goodbye. I had my copy of Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver with me. I read a few poems while standing in line waiting to order, until a stranger started chatting with me. I read a couple more poems while waiting for my drink, until an acquaintance from the neighborhood introduced herself and struck up a conversation. I read another poem while sipping my latte, until a friend came in and joined me. <– (These are all things that regularly happen at Staycation. It’s like a magnet for meet-ups.) In all, I read eight poems while I was there, and several lines stood out as being appropriate for the coffee shop’s last day. I underlined a few.

Later, at home, I re-read the eight poems and jotted down all the lines that seemed fitting for the occasion. Then, I rearranged them into a poem commemorating Staycation’s closing. Here is the found poem I created. None of the words are my own, except the title. The rest of the lines come from the following poems by Mary Oliver:

• “Night Herons”
• “Mornings at Blackwater”
• “The Orchard”
• “Sometimes”
• “Invitation”
• “From this River, When I was a Child, I Used to Drink”
• “We Should Be Well Prepared”
• “Meadowlark Sings and I Greet Him in Return”

Wisdom from Mary Oliver on Staycation’s Last Day, a Found Poem
- by Carie Juettner

hello, hello, and are we not of one family
in our delight of life?
do not walk by without pausing,
do you have time to linger
for just a little while?
sometimes melancholy leaves me breathless—
the way the days go by, never to return
in the terrible debris of progress.
I will grieve, of course, but that is nothing.
for years, every morning, I drank
a hint of heaven.
all winds blow at last
and the leaves, so pretty, so many
vanish.
one by one the birds
opened their wings and flew
and that was the end of them
as far as we knew.
what I want to say is this:
it is a serious thing
just to be alive
on this fresh morning.
you are capable of choosing,
so come to the pond
or the river of your imagination
and put your lips to the world. 

* * *

If you would like to order merchandise from Staycation or sign up to receive news and updates about their journey, visit their online store or follow them on Instagram.