The old pub is shuttered, boarded up
behind a sign, 'Closed for Renovation.'
The comfortable old furniture removed
so the floor can be refinished.

The laughter, cheers, and happy voices
that in earlier days floated out of the old pub
have turned to hammering, sawing, and shouts
as sweaty workers put the past to rest.

When renovations are done,
what will the old pub become?
A boutique cafe of pricy meals shared
with strangers there only to see and be seen.

Will the old pub be reborn,
the old friends and poets return 
if the old pub becomes new
and we once again convene?