The barista bustled

The barista bustled

Busy as a bee can be

Cleaning the spout

Of the steamer

Polishing the counter

Smiling wider than her face

Should really allow

‘Hi how are you today?’

‘Oh...musn’t grumble.’

She looked flummoxed

‘What does that mean?

It was a question

So the inflection was appropriate

‘Oh it’s an English expression

An understated way of saying

Everything is fine...you might say

Awesome in Australia

Like they do in the States

Oh it’s cool... I’m Awesome

But in England, we might say

‘Musn’t grumble

Or ‘not too shabby.’

She looked at me blankly

‘Shabby?’

‘Yes as in ‘not so bad’

Gosh this isn’t going so well

Is it?’

I laughed.

So did she.

‘People either think

The English are arrogant,

Rude and obnoxious

Expecting the world

To bow and scrape

Or that they are unassuming

Polite, diffident and self-deprecating’

‘Sorry? You’ve lost me

What does diffident mean?

‘Modest...Hugh Grant’

‘Who?...Oh right...Love Actually’

‘Of course, that’s not me

As I’m just the dog’s bollocks’

“What?’

‘No worries...just a joke

It will take too long

To explain and I need to catch a train

Just give me a flat white

With an extra shot

To start the day

Like as not...

It will be just like you

Awesome.’