Writer Wednesday says Goodbye to Bob's Espresso Bar...

"All good things must come to an end", the saying goes. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Bob's Espresso Bar on a Writer Wednesday night back in July and I met wonderful people like Jessica Wilson Cardenas, Juan Cardenas, Nelson Alburquenque, Teesh "Brown Sugar", Billy "Stupendous" Rodriguez, Zach Zephyr, E. Cathy Cole, Pogo Saito, The Whale, Tony Bates among many other artists that have delighted me and audiences have come every Wednesday to escape from the stress of everyday life and share poetry, comedy, music and soul.

But all things must come to an end and our dear Robert Romanos, owner of Bob's Espresso Bar and better known for his acting role in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High along with Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ray Walston, has decided that it's time to close the curtain to a dream that came true for him, a dream of opening a coffee shop where artists would come together and share their poetry, their music, their comedy and their magic. The time has come when Bob must say farewell to pursue other dreams of his own.

I've written a poem that I was fortunate enough to share last Wednesday at the second to last Writer Wednesday (last Bob's Espresso Bar Writer Wednesday will take place on November 12th starting at 6:45 till 9:30) and I was happy to say that I got Bob himself to come to the mic and say a few words to the audience. His rare speech moved most everyone to tears for we know how much he's invested in Bob's Espresso Bar, the friends he's made along the way, the unforgettable performances that he's seen in his (?) years of listening behind the counter. Everybody loves Bob.

And so I will share the poem titled Bob's Last Curtain Call, inspired by Bob's Espresso Bar and its family of artists and friends:

Robert "Bob" Romanos and Victor Sotomayor

Bob's Last Curtain Call

We all shine on!
Like the Luna
Like the stars
Like Tikal Sun…

We are all stars
In the same constellation
Of cosmic talent
We will shine on
And on and on…

“All good things
Must come to an end”,
Or So they say…
All good things
Must come to a close,
Last curtain call
To the sound of a flute
Charming whoever
Has ears to listen and look!
Last curtain is now upon us…

Ukuleles,
Harmonicas,
And stupendous electric guitars

An Aggravated poet and another constant one

The sound of whales migrating south
The cry of the dolphins
That swim out to shore

A white bunny that refuses to come out the magician’s hat,
En-tranced and confused
“All good things must come to an end.”

Tikal Sun has now set in the horizon
Beyond Navajo Sands of time
A Tapestry of wonder and awe,
Limitless source of symphonies and sounds

Bob’s Espresso Bar
Like this place there’s no par
A hub connecting
The Hollyweird with the Valley Girls
Connecting minds
Connecting souls
An amazing technicolor rainbow over Lankershim boulevard.

A depot of traveling performers
A stop along the way
Musicians and poets
Bring with them
Their illusions and disenchantments
Their struggles and triumphs
Their joys and sorrows

Orphans must stick together now

We are the dawn of a new sun
A new moon
A constellation of stars
Our own little non dairy Milky Way

Bob’s last curtain call
Is now upon us
A bittersweet moment
That welcomes new beginnings
New adventures
New venues
But we shall never forget
These precious moments together
You see, these memories will never be taken away,
They will remain in our hearts.

Fast times are comin’
Stupendous!!!
Bring them on!!!
We are all stars
A new constellation
A non dairy
Fat free
Chocolate flavored
Milky Way
And we will shine on
From another galaxy
Far, far away
(I hope you have your GPS)

Orphans must stick together now

We are the dawn of a new sun
A new moon
A constellation of stars
Our own little non dairy Milky Way

Bob’s last curtain call
Is now upon us
A bittersweet moment
That welcomes new beginnings
New adventures
New venues
But we shall never forget
These precious moments together
You see, these memories will never be taken away,
They will remain in our hearts.

Fast times are comin’
Stupendous!!!
Bring them on!!!
We are all stars
A new constellation
A non dairy
Fat free
Chocolate flavored
Milky Way
And we will shine on
From another galaxy
Far, far away
(I hope you have your GPS)

Let’s raise our glasses
And sing a loud cheer
For this is not the end, baby,

This is just the beginning!!!

©2014 Victor Sotomayor 

Photos by Victor Sotomayor

Thanks, Bob, we shall never forget!!!