Ocean Donuts

                  Ocean Donuts

I work at Ocean Donuts.
I walk to work, it takes ten minutes.
I have to be there very early.
As I get close I like to smell the ocean
and the doughnuts together.
Andy lets me in the back.
He has gray hair in one long braid,
and when he smiles, you can see his gold tooth.

I get right to work.
I make the coffee and turn the tea water to On.
I set up the self serve: cups, three sizes, lids, and stirrers.
I fill the napkins and the sugars: the blue and the pink.
Then I carry out the trays of doughnuts Andy just made
and fill the shelves with the right kinds.
They all smell good.
I like to sweep the floor once over,
even if the girls did it last night.
I check the tables are clean, too, just in case.

I always finish before 5:OO,
then I can pick one doughnut, any kind,
usually custard-filled,
and sit with my coffee, extra cream, no sugar,
outside on the back step for a break.
I watch the ocean and think of Columbus
and feel big and little at the same time.
Any minute my regulars will come through the tinkling door,
all those morning faces,
I know them all.
I sip my last sip of coffee and think:
this is my life, ocean and doughnuts,
and I want to hug the ocean for being so big
and the way I do it
is to take another bite of my custard-filled.