Coffee Poem by Nupur Parik

Like black silk hiding
A bitter velveteen pill
That can carry you
To a nation of elevation,
And open your eyes
To an armory of words
That can spike your day
With confidence and zing-
Carry the cup with sure hands,
And with a steady rise
Let the lips kiss the rims
When horizons unite
And the blackness flows
To enter you-
A sharp penetration,
Not gentle and slow like tea,
Nor tender and loving like
A hired concubine,
It romances your tongue
And plays with your mouth
Like a lover on a summer's day...
The warmth fills you up
Wholly, and without selfish intent,
Reminding your skin
That not all in this world
Is harsh, cold and hard...
The cup is your companion
When the morning arrives,
No matter how dark the night was;
The coffee shall be darker...
And remind you of the brightness
That you have seen before
On those Sundays when you played
With the frisky fingers of
The man you're growing to love...