The Deja Vu Cafe

A poem reflecting Malaysian cafe life through the decades

Michael Joseph FarrellyMichael Joseph Farrelly
The Deja Vu Cafe by Michael Joseph

The Déjà Vu Cafe


A poem by Michael Joseph Farrelly


As the old man stares down food street
Asian food scents are in the air
Welcome chairs are more partic'lar
You can't see that the people care

He makes his way and remembers
How cafés used to be before
It's a déjà vu cafe shop
He recalls it from '64

The tea it was from Darjeeling,
Cam'ron Highlands and Fujian
We all mixed in together and
Division there was none

We laughed and joked and sipped our drinks
We all shared our cultural norms
We saw ourselves as people here
Sharing coffee without the storms

The old man pondered what once was
How did division come to rule
If only we could get back to
The friendly days before the fool

The old man stood to take a test
He was welcomed with opened arms
The atmosphere of yesteryear
It had returned with its full charms

He sat and ordered Cam'ron's best
Heard what Fujian had to say
While Darjeelings smile lit the night
'Twas like he'd never been away



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