Mea Cu(l)ppa!
Mea Cu(l)ppa!
Lazy vapours tap gently.
The grey cells writhe, to break free, from the deft arms of Hypnos.
Your dull skin touches my quivering lips.
The “new age” lukewarm, sugar- crammed, additive-packed drink automatically
spritzed by the shiny espresso machine sitting on top of the kitchen counter. 6AM.
Nostalgia knocks hard, anytime.
A sacrosanct ritual, almost like a prayer, the brewing ceremony.
A heap of freshly ground coffee beans a careful blend of portions,
Peaberry arabica and robusta, placed snugly in a brass filter.
Boiling water ladled over, a choreographed circular motion; the thick
Dark brown decoction, guided by gravity, not pressure.
Freshly boiled cream milk added to the brass tumbler, Infused with strong brew.
In a davara with 1.3 teaspoons of sugar.
The rich mixture is poured back and forth.
My mom’s frothy coffee, for a kick ass morn!
Mea Culpa! My heart craves for the 6AM, Kumbakonam!
PS:You are welcome to check the original concrete poetry here https://drive.google.com/open?id=15eSVpBUL4qnu-4WWovRymozmMVUr9y74
Footnotes:
*Peaberry Arabica and Robusta: Two different types of coffee beans having different flavours, strengths and tastes.
**Davara-tumbler set: Davara is a traditional wide metal (stainless steel/copper) saucer with lipped walls in which a filter coffee is cooled first, before drinking it from a metal tumbler. Tumbler is a metal drinking glass with straight sides.
***Kumbakonam: It is a popular town in south India famous for temples, betel leaves and areca nuts and filter coffee. Coffee is best known as ‘kaapi’.