DON’T MESS WITH MY COFFEE

Copyright 2011 Gordon Kuhn: Poet in the Rain.

 

Coffee in a plain blue cup

dark brew, restaurant knew

ah, cream to the side, I think

but blink at the suggestion of sugar

need not sweeten the bitter biting taste

to do so would be such a terrible waste

of coffee bean and water made in water hotter

leave out all this other stuff

and, why, for God’s sake all these names are strange I think

but don’t destroy with special crap poured in my coffee

a frothing mess sprinkled with cocoa dust?

for that I would surely frown and my lips would shrink

away from such a polluted mess

and confess I would hate to waste it all

this drink the seller called out is tall

tall?

what?

I swore I said “small”.

What happened to the simple cup

now abused by steamed milk and a chocolate machine

a biscotti to the side maybe someone else’s dream

but not mine

please,

just pour the coffee in a plain old eight ounce cup

let me make the choice of if I wish for cream

regular, cow cream, please, not colored, not flavored

simple, savored.