Cold wind whips at my back
As I walk down the street
The sky is clear
With white autumn sunlight
Bringing leaves into clear focus
Brown, red, orange, green
Spiraling towards earth
A splash of green grass
And cold gray concrete
The door creaks as I walk inside
And warm air blasts my face
The scents whirl in my head
Of strong black coffee
Sweet milky lattes
And tangy cinnamon that hangs in the air
With warm chocolate hues
Swirling in mugs
And light creamy spirals
With auburn pumpkin spice
The color of brown autumn leaves
All held by hands as different
As the coffee in their cups
Large hard-working hands
And chilled hands of young children
Grasping cups of steaming cocoa
Petite woman’s fingers
Slim and caramel
With sparkling silver rings
And tired wise hands
The color of slate specked with cinnamon
I open my eyes and ears and nose
The voices swirl
In rich tones of chocolate
Sharp tones of crisp black espresso
Motherly tones
Of sweet milky cream
And I see and hear and taste
Diversity
The promise of beauty
Freedom from monotony
Like jagged puzzle pieces
All different sizes and shapes and colors
That still fit together
And create something beautiful
It is everywhere
In the shade of autumn leaves
In cups of coffee
And in hands and voices
I walk into the line
And smile
Because I know that diversity is all around me
And as I sip my warm coffee
I know that I am part of this diversity, too