Kim Johnson, Ed.D., lives on a farm in Williamson, Georgia, where she serves as District Literacy Specialist for Pike County Schools. She enjoys writing, reading, traveling, camping, and spending time with her husband and three rescue schnoodles with literary names – Boo Radley (TKAM), Fitz (F. Scott Fitzgerald), and Ollie (Mary Oliver). You can follow her blog, Common Threads: Patchwork Prose and Verse, at www.kimhaynesjohnson.com.
Inspiration
One of the most uplifting parts of a writing community is getting to know other writers, feeling a connection, and developing a sense of belonging as others welcome you to the group and encourage you in your writing journey. Today, let’s introduce ourselves through a Weekend Coffee Share poem, which can take the form of a list poem or a prose poem – or any other structure that you choose. You may have seen other bloggers writing as part of the Weekend Coffee Share, a topic developed by a blogger whose idea inspired this prompt. Raising a mug to Natalie!
Process
Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and imagine being in a small coffee shop among friends. We’ve all strolled in from the cold, damp drizzle and are eager to meet you for the first time – or to catch up with you since last time. Pour us a cup, too, and share something about yourself with us. Invite us into your world, friend! Let your first line be If we were having coffee (or tea, or wine…)….
Oh – and share a picture of yourself with your cup in the comments if you wish!
Kim’s Poem
If We Were Having Coffee
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you that #VerseLove changed my life
because of you.
Here, come closer and lean in.
Do you like light roast or bold?
Let me pour you a cup. Cream? Sugar?
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask you about your favorite poets
and tell you that as a child,
I spent hours, days, weeks, years reading
Childcraft Volume 1 Poems and Rhymes
and was twice gifted A Child’s Garden of Verses
for Christmas from relatives ~ in 1971 and 1972
and have been hooked on poetry since then.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you that I’m a bit of an introvert,
so I prefer writing over talking,
and that over the years, I have come to know
you through our writing ~ so I call you my friend.
I’ll be talking to someone somewhere and you’ll come up.
You always do.
When someone tells me they like Thai food, I say,
No way! One of my writing friends is in Thailand right now!
And when someone hums a tune from CATS, I say,
Girl! One of my writing friends sent me
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats last year.
And when someone says they’re going to the west coast, I say,
Have fun! I was just there with my writing friends in November.
If we were having coffee,
I’d raise my mug to you and say,
Cheers to you, friend! Welcome to #VerseLove 2023!
And I’d snap a picture, like this…
and invite you to do the same!
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
If we were having coffee
I would lean in real close
Whispers of my insecurities
The things I fear the most
What ifs, my imposter syndrome
What will I do next?
If we were having coffee
I’d sip slow and speak fast
Tell of new beginnings
Unashamed, boisterous laugh
Climbing quiet brick walls
Checking time, taking turns
If we were having coffee
I would listen to your words
Hold back from mirroring
Masking to avoid hurt
All the little bits of us
In a coffee shop of trust
If we were having a coffee
I’d tell you about my day,
all the stressors around me.
If we were having a coffee
I’d ask about your day,
all the nitty gritty details.
If we were having a coffee
You would tell me about how you’re scared,
scared for the future and what is to happen in May.
If we were having a coffee
I tell you how much I’m going to miss you,
how much you being here these past 3 years have made them the best.
If we were having a coffee
You would say how you’ll be back every weekend,
how we will see each other often.
If we were having a coffee
I’d think to myself I’m worried,
I want you to go but I want you to stay with me.
Lauryn, your poem rings truth as if talking to a friend – one who will be on a journey or away for a time. I sense the sadness and ambivalence of wanting the company to go and wanting the company to stay.
I think our poems could match well as a poem in two voices! You share a lovely perspective as someone who is listening and supporting the other person while battling the loss of time.
I absolutely love this prompt!!! Your poem was beautiful and so real too.
if we were having coffee
I’d stand in line forever
pouring over the menu
do I try something new
or stick to the tried and true?
if we were having coffee
I’d be a little awkward
You’ve only existed on a screen
what if you find me odd?
am I even likable?
what if I say something wrong?
if we were having coffee
I would warm as my cup cooled
we would share
books
goals
and eventually
life
bonded through words, our story would form.
if we were having coffee
I would leave feeling energizes
buzzing from the caffeine and socializing my cup once empty
now full.
Alexis, I like the way you brought in the satisfaction of time spent together with the idea of your cup being full from the interactions and conversation. Thank you for writing!
The line breaks in your poem mimic the inner dialogue a lot of people face on first meetings or dates. The one word lines especially seemed like a person patiently waiting for a response–waiting for their cup to be filled. It is so lovely.
To my one-day-old grandson Roger
I hear you: Roger
Message received loud and clear
You’re here, to be heard
Your fists are blue knotted
globes of fury pounding against
air and brutal light
Yes Roger Roger
Message received you’ve found
your furious thumb
Let it be known: You
are here knitting opinions
between tight baby brows
Our world needs a scolding.
Message received, Roger. Roger.
Congratulations, Allison! I had no idea! Love how you played with the radio talk and the baby imagery. Though, I think you posted this in the wrong thread, I’m glad I happened to stumble upon it 🙂
Hahaha! I just realized that this morning. I was DETERMINED to get a poem written last night, then threw it on the wrong page before diving into bed! 🙂
Allison, those pounding fists are precious! I know you are so, so proud of this new baby, Roger Roger. Congratulations on your new grandson!
If we were having hot chocolate,
my heart would have re-found home.
I would tell you about what I heard this weekend
The shock of scalpels thrown
2:30am conversations
Sitting on the floor and looking at the snow
I would tell you about baked potatoes
The Facebook messenger call
10pm tears on my pillow
Chasing ducks around the pond
I would tell you about my lessons
How I like your beard
All my the thoughts from The Alchemist
Noticing the food in my cupboard
I would tell you about my dreams
The sleep ones and the real
I would tell you about what I noticed
I would tell you about what I didn’t
I would tell you about the important
I would tell you about the tiny
I would tell you about everything
And… I would ask you about it all
I would listen about your children
The experience you had last night
Triangles and numbers
Your workout at the gym
Your progress on that book
All the thing that are happening that I don’t know
I would listen to it all
Listen and listen and listen
And we could sit in silence.
That’d be okay too, because
If we were on your couch sipping our hot chocolate,
topped with whipping cream,
I could say I love you again.
And know that we re-found home.
Fun to meet you & learn about you through this poem, M M. Also glad to find a fellow church / hot chocolate friend here 🙂 That scalpel story was something else. I wish you luck with this relationship! Love the concept of “re-finding” home.
Ooooh, refinding home. What a thought-provoking idea. I sense a sadness and distance in the poem, but I also sense confidence in being okay and sorting out the past. Thanks so much for writing!
Kim, I just love your mug! I travel a lot and collect those. My favorite one so far is from New Mexico, but that’s most likely because that’s where I was born and raised. I have not ventured to Kentucky much, but have several points of interest on my travel list that happen to be there. Maybe some day, we can sit together with our Kentucky mugs and talk.
I’m going to write my poem as a reflection of a past coffee visit and the anticipation of a growing relationship.
Title: ¿Tu sabes?
If we were having coffee,
let’s meet in Panama where
the flavor is fresh
the spices are fair
the milk is steamed
— warm, rich, and flawless.
let’s plan this summer’s trips where
we study flamingos in Mexico
we tour Anne’s house in Amsterdam
we drink beer in Germany
— warm, rich, and flawless.
let’s fall in love where
our last kiss carries on our first kiss
our friendship grows mas y mas
our arms bear our burdens
— warm, rich, and flawless.
I love the comparison of the
coffee with the life events you are anticipating. Your words taste delicious. Thank you!
I really love how you ended each stanza and took us on a journey. Let’s go!
Amber, such beauty in the travel dreams – – planning summer’s trips and yes to Amsterdam and Germany. I’ve always wanted to visit Anne’s attic. And yes, we can meet in Kentucky and sip coffee and chat of travels and books and poems.
Coffee Together
By: Emily Yamasaki
If we were having coffee
we’d find the perfect table
always the one nestled in a corner
but by a window
it’d make time slow down
our conversation and banter
like a oldie, goodie melody
we’d let the hour tick by
leaving only the thin brown stains
on our white paper cups
if we were having coffee
Lovely, Emily. That is precisely the seat I would look for as well. I think there is something so romantic about what happens to our perception of time in such a place and with such an event, even in my head now, I can imagine that slowing. Feel it as I read. And feel as though I have enjoyed that cuppa with you. Thank you!
Emily, your poem offers a wonderful image of a perfect coffee nook. I especially enjoy the sense of time slowing down to enjoy the moment and the “thin brown stains/on our white paper cups” is such a perfect descriptor.
Emily! I love the sense of time in your poem and way that conversation almost makes time stand still. Just perfect!
Kim thank you for this fun prompt. I love to write about coffee, so this felt like it was meant for me.
Coffee With Me
I am always down for coffee
Busy morning coffee
Quick mugful
As I get ready for the day
I am always down for coffee
Wednesday night coffee
Shared with friends
As we knit and vent
I am always down for coffee
Thursday night coffee
Fancy Starbucks latte
Means quite for me
I am always down for coffee
Weekend coffee
Can be anything any time
Quick mugfuls or slowly sipped with friends
Just black or fancy latte run
I am always down for coffee
DeAnna,
The line reputation is quite effective and takes me to memories of my mother drinking coffee all day long.
DeAnna,
This is SO you! You are a coffee fanatic, but I still love you. The refrain really works well.
I love the ‘down to earth’ feel of that ‘down for’ line. It seems so fitting with the companionship you share with others, as well as with yourself. So comforting all the way through. I am down for it with you!
I, too, am always down for coffee. Love the refrain. I also love the coffee events—and the days! (Love there knit and vent line!)
PERFECT! The repetition of “I am always down for coffee” could very easily be your life motto. I think that makes you such an inviting person!
Couldn’t quite make a coffee poem as I spent my day exploring Death Valley National Park–so it turned into a come walk with me poem instead! Love the inspiration.
Come walk with me
I’ll tell you about the power of my friend camera
And how it’s changed the way I see the world
Noticing details of salt flats
Almost hexagonal frames surrounding minerals dried in the hotter than hot desert sun
Come walk with me
I’ll tell you how walking helps me explore
Taking me out of my head and into nature, even the nearby nature of my backyard
To hear the wind and birdsong and the steady beat of my own heart and feet
Come walk with me
I’ll tell you about the inhale
of hope and possibility that comes with time immersed looking, thinking, breathing
Don’t forget the exhale, breathe out stress and negativity
Make space for yourself
Let’s lace up our shoes
And head out
To walk and talk
Breathe and listen
Noticing the world together.
Kim, your walk poem is fantastic. I love the action words and especially your final stanza when you write “Breathe and listen/Noticing the world together”. Beautiful poem!
Kim,
I accept your invitation to walk w/ you, and I wish I were exploring in Death Valley right now. Love that you switched things up this evening.
This is another really great prompt, Kim! I could see my students doing this – esp since so many of them do not like coffee OR tea! (I know, kids these days! – Mountain Dew, maybe!) I appreciate the reminder: Don’t forget the exhale – so important to not only take in, but to release. Lovely way to start my day!
I really like the “come walk with” perspective. I am envious of your hike and would completely love this walk with you. I hope to remember this the next time I go for a walk in order to capture and pay attention to those details of asking another to join me.
To My Neighbor Kathy
If we’re having coffee,
let’s drink it black
I’ll drop an icecube in yours
because I’m fancy like that
and I know you like yours tepid
If we’re having coffee,
let’s sit on the porch
I’ll toss you a blanket
because snuggled against a nippy breeze
our cups become warm prayers in our hands
If we’re having coffee,
let’s skip to the heavy-hitters
I’ll tell you my shame, my hope
because when you’re listening
I open my mouth and my heart comes out
If we’re having coffee,
let’s wipe our eyes on our sleeves
I’ll throw my head back and howl
because we are wolves, you and I,
wild and fierce and happily caffeinated
This sounds like a beautiful neighborly relationship. I love sense of connection your words express.
“I open my mouth and my heart comes out” is so familiar and so brand new all at once. I’m going to have this image stuck in my head for awhile—thank you!
Good to write with you again, Allison!
What a wonderful friendship–sequestered on a porch sharing coffee, thoughts, and joys! Lovely!
Allison, the power of your friendship with your neighbor Kathy is striking in your poem. I love the emotion and the wolf metaphor at the end. I sure hope you’re sharing this poem with Kathy. Loved “I open my mouth and my heart comes out”…now that’s talking with a friend!
What a wonderful friendship. Sitting on the porch, enjoying coffee and conversation.
Allison,
I love this celebration of your wild and precious friendship. That you are Iowa down to earth, salt of the land, good people shines in every line. Favorite images: dropping an ice cube in a cup of coffee and your heart coming out of an open mouth. That would make a great album cover.
What a treasure of a neighbor you have. This is beautiful. I wonder if you’ll share this with Kathy and how it will make her glow.
Coffee Share PoemIf we were having coffee, mine might be an americano.
It’s usually reliable no matter where you are.
But today I’m at home sipping a pour over in a favorite mug.
Favorite mugs make most drinks more enjoyable.
This morning was the blue one from East Fork Pottery.
I miss the chance to write with others.
Planned moments where I’m forced to dabble.
And I have the pleasure to hear how other writers
approach a prompt.
Our words share so much about us.
From life moments to a way with words.
The chance to write with others provides moments of growth.
The value of time spent engaged with the word.
Connected to others.
Looking at the same thing through the eyes of many writers.
Thank you for the invitation.
Hello, Jamie! I love the point about tasting better in the favorite mug–so true. You bring to light an important (and wonderfully fun) part of our shared writing in this space: “Looking at the same thing through the eyes of many writers.” Amen!
Jamie,
I so agree with you! Though I sometimes write with my creative writing students, I really enjoy writing with adults, too. Have you done your state’s version of the Oregon Writer’s Project? Wonderful celebration of writing both personally and for classes. Your poem took me back to those wonderful workshops!
Jamie,
Indeed, a favorite mug does make coffee taste better.
What a great prompt, Kim. Looking at my completed poem, which kind of wrote itself, I sense the melancholy, I think because I’m just completing a whirlwind trip of seeing some friends and family I’ve not seen since before the pandemic.
If we were having coffee
I would look into your eyes
and try to read
how and what you are feeling
If we were having coffee
I would ask “what’s new?”
“how’s the family?”
“what about your aging mother?”
If we were having coffee
we’d reminisce
“remember when…?”
wisps of nostalgia would shroud us
If we were having coffee
we would sit in silence
for a beat
and hold space for each other
If we were having coffee
we would be reminded
why we connected in the first place
and plan to do it again, soon
Charlene, the poem has beautiful rhythm. And some really great lines—“wisps of nostalgia” and “sit in silence for a beat and hold space for each other” are really striking!
Charlene, I love that you capture the many ways a cup of coffee with a friend or even ourselves offers us time to reflect and connect. I find it a struggle to do this during a meal but there’s something about a hot beverage that requires just the right amount of attention and time that offers us this space. Thank you for sharing!
Charlene,
I sense the longing for connection w/ important people in your poem. I love the way a cup of coffee shared w/ someone invites moments of silence. Thank you for hi-lighting that.
I love the part about the silence and holding space—creates a sense of intimacy and love. Beautiful.
I definitely connect to this poem. I was having coffee with a friend in November. We don’t see or hear from each other as often as we’d like. We grew up best friends since second grade, but have moved here and there, had kids, etc…but when we can we sit and have coffee and do just this. Thank you for putting this into words and bringing the memory of her to me today.
4/2 Coffee Date
If we were having coffee this morning,
we’d be elbow to elbow
on a Silver Lake park bench
watching my little boy—
smiles impossible to quell—
explore the playscape
while the lyrics and bass
of late-aughts hip-hop bounce
from the softball fields
across the goose-riddled pond.
If we were having coffee this morning,
we would chase the toddler
from one activity to another
while reminiscing about
“the good ol’ days”
back when these songs were
regulars on dance party playlists.
If we were having coffee this morning,
I would quietly wonder
how those ever morphed into
“the good ol’ days”
and
what will
“the good ol’ days”
look like for this
little boy
so full of
future.
Laura, I love the bounce between present and past here…it’s so interesting to think about our children looking back with nostalgia. Thank you for invitation to sit on the bench and watch your boy play…gosh, that time goes fast!
Oh, what a futuristic and prophetic thought – – what will the good old days be like for the next generation? That’s deep! Thank you, Laura, for sharing today.
What a precious snapshot of time – yes, you are thinking about your “good ol’ days” but what will be this little guy’s “good ol’ days”? He had a special day playing today, being chased by two loving folks!
That last stanza—and the “little boy so full of future”—is bursting with meaning. I love the imagery in the first stanza too!
Such a fun prompt! Thank you, Kim. I saw it during Slice of Life and noted that I wanted to try it. Happy for the opportunity to!
If we were having coffee
It would be somewhere Google describes as quaint
It would be tucked away in the big city
Passed by tourists thousands of times a day
But rarely frequented because they call their coffee
Small, medium, large
Not
Tall, grande, venti
I would have spent hours searching for the perfect place
Pinching the digital map to ensure its location
Is between you and is between me
Scrolling through images, searching social media hash tags
Does it have couches? All the hip places do
I would have wanted everything to be perfect
But I would forget all that as soon I saw your smile coming down the street
Felt your familiar embrace
And answered the first of many questions
“This is such a cute place! How did you find it?”
Megan, yes – – that feel of the small coffee shop is like a friend with a distinctive personality that brings comfort and warmth just on the mere presence. I love that you shared in writing today.
Oh my goodness! Somehow, you have captured the relationship between my lifelong bestie and me! We live 200 miles apart, so we’re always trying to find “quaint” places to meet. I do exactly what you described here…then we’re together and I don’t think about the place, or the coffee, at all.
Your story is so animated. Your voice comes through with words like “quaint, tucked away, passed by tourists.” I like your description of “pinching the digital map.” You concern – “Is between you and is between me.” And finally your closing words – “This is such a cute place! How did you find it?” Lovely.
Thank you for the perfect get-to-know-you type of prompt today. I know I sure wish I could meet YOU for coffee; you are one of the key contributors in this space.
Virtual Reality
I’ll meet you at Winkler’s
for a Dirty Chai.
We all know I wouldn’t
ask you to our house . . .
I am sensitive to it not being enough.
If we were sitting in a booth,
hands wrapped around
the cup of frothy love,
I’d share how this coffee shop
saved my life during
my two-year battle with
panic disorder.
And so did all of you.
For five mornings a month
and the entire month of April,
we met across the miles
through the invisible lines
that I tended to cuss most days
but blessed when I was thrown
a lifeline via them.
Sipping on the earthly warmth,
I’d elaborate that the poems shared
were salve to my soul
and the ones I wrote helped
more than my beloved therapist.
Thanks to this community,
I have a collection
that tells my story.
But I have so much more.
People I have never met know
more about me than family and
lifelong friends.
And your sharing of your stories
and your compassionate comments
have taught me so much.
As much as I cherish our virtual meeting place,
I wish this chat over morning coffee
wasn’t fictional so I could
share space with you.
But
maybe the curtain would be
pulled back revealing the magic
and perhaps changing it.
Virtual …
appearing to exist but not existing
in the physical world.
Reality . . .
we can have friends we have
never met in person.
~Susan Ahlbrand
2 April 2023
Susan, I LOVE this from top to bottom. That frothy chai brought me back to a coffee shop of my high school days and your “virtual reality” is one that I share and also appreciate so much. This space is so special and so unique it’s harboring of stories and hearts. Thank you for writing this for us.
This poetry community has lifted me, as well; I am so full of appreciation. I love your ending truth, “we can have friends we have/never met in person.”
Susan, you’ve packed so much into this poem. One theme you’ve made me think about is how we rarely know the effect our actions, even the small ones, may have on others. This community has meant so much to so many for such a variety of reasons. I’m so glad we’ve been there for you!
Oh wow, Susan. Your poem is a gift of honesty to all of us who share this space. There is truth in this line: “the ones I wrote helped
more than my beloved therapist.” Time spent crafting a poem is slowed and focused and–if we let it–can take us into hidden places within ourselves. <3
I loved this prompt so much that I went and made myself an iced mocha to drink as I wrote. I’m always amazed where my writing takes me.
☕️☕️☕️
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask you how your year was going.
“Can you believe it’s already April?”
”I cant believe how fast it’s gone.”
”Time sure does fly,”
we’d say.
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask you what you’re reading.
You’d tell me, and chances are,
I’ve already read it.
I‘d tell you about other phenomenal
books I’ve read, books I think
you should read too.
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask about your boys.
How’s Brennon’s senior year
at OSU going?
How is Blayze’s last year
of high school going?
Are you ready to be
an empty nester?
You’d ask about my girls
and I’d tell you that Ashlynn
is about to quit a job she hates.
Hallie is now a pilot and
took us on a private flight.
Cecily, who you’ve known since birth,
is almost finished with seventh grade
and has become boy crazy.
If we were having coffee,
we’d hug and say
”We really should do
this more often.
It’s been too long.”
We’d leave, glad to have
reunited and reconnected,
thankful for coffee giving us
the excuse to.
Carriann, your closing lines sum up the day for me.
Thankfully, Sarah has made it possible for us to gather there on OPEN WRITE and reconnected monthly, most of the year, and every day in April.
Maybe I make a cuppa and read, write and respond tomorrow, pretending like most did through COVID that we really are together!
Have a great week!
Thank you! Have a happy week too!
Cariann, I’ve been traveling today, home from a birthday fishing trip with my grandson, and as I returned home to read through the poems and comment this evening, I took a break to take the dogs on a walk – – coming back through the kitchen, I thought, “wouldn’t an iced mocha be great?” And I fixed one. And then I opened your poem to see that you, too, were drinking an iced mocha. A little Twilight Zone moment – – to connect us through writing and the reality of the moment. Thanks for writing! We get to have coffee together every morning in April as we write in verse together.
❤️❤️
Such a great idea to make an iced mocha as you write! I felt as if I was there, having coffee with you. Fabulous that you have woven so many good books into your daily life…love the conviction of: “and chances are,
I’ve already read it.”
It wasn’t that great of an idea so late in the day. I couldn’t go to sleep until almost 1 last night!! But thank you for the sweet comments!
Kim, thank you so much for the fun prompt today. Your mentor poem was everything–such a sweet invitation to this group for new and old. I love the raising of your mug, and I had to get out my Starbuck’s California mug in honor of you today. I usually use a much more common company promotional mug, but not today because it was Weekend Coffee Share time! Thank you!
Thank you, Denise! I have absolutely savored the photos and the poems today, and I did notice your California Been There Starbucks Series mug – – it’s amazing how mugs from travels draw us back to the moments of togetherness over coffee. I feel the same way when I wear my tshirt from our presentation! Thanks so much for your kind words.
Kim, I love infinite possibilities this process opens up. Thank you for the invitation.
If We Were Having Coffee
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you how Teach Write has changed my teaching and writing life.
I’d tell you I’d been told that my writing was no good;
how my awesome Teach Write peeps convinced me that I could.
I’d tell you I get scared; feeling like a huge imposter;
how I press into this group and the encouragement that they foster.
I’d tell you I’ve transformed from being a writing teacher;
how being a teacher-writer has a meaning far more deeper.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you I am grateful for the Teach Write community;
how it’s opened many other doors.
I’d tell you to find the people who
share a passion such as yours.
Donnetta, isn’t it true about finding “the people who / share a passion such as yours”? It’s so important! I’m glad you are part of Teach Write. I love this stanza, and your honesty here. I can relate:
“I’d tell you I get scared; feeling like a huge imposter;
how I press into this group and the encouragement that they foster.”
I enjoyed the rhymes in your poem today.
Donnetta, thank you for sharing! My favorite line is
“I’ve transformed from being a writing teacher;
how being a teacher-writer has a meaning far more deeper”
I can relate. I feel like an imposter when I write, but then I remember that I’m writing not to become a writer, but because I already am one, and that’s what writers do! This is such a good perspective shift, and it truly can make a difference with teaching. We aren’t teaching writing, we are writers who teach, who share, who inspire! Thank you for inspiring me!
Donnetta, sharing the passion is what it is all about! The great thing about the flavor of writing communities, like great coffee, is that they all wake us up to our strengths and help us grow and be. Whether we like to blog narratives or write poetry or share memoir – whatever leanings we have in our favorites – we are drawn together by common threads of the passion of writing. I’m so glad you are here in this space, sharing your love of writing!
I love the vulnerability you express in this poem, Donnetta. Like you, I’m grateful for those I’ve encountered, both here and elsewhere, who have encouraged and supported my teaching and writing life!
Great words about TeachWrite – they are simply glowing, “I press into this group and the encouragement that they foster.” Beautiful!
I love your vulnerability in this poem and o 💯 relate! You have great talent and I’m glad you share it.
Hello everyone! I’m back! Hoping to stick to writing daily this month. I’ve missed you all and I feel that this community and opportunity to write will help get me through the rest of the school year.
If we were having coffee,
The steaming liquid
would have difficulty
burning our tongues
because our tongues
are already in motion
forming language
sharing happy moments-
of our families,
our children,
our students.
Stop. Sip.
We’d share struggles-
of our families,
our children,
our students.
Stop. Sip.
We’d share our hopes-
for our families,
our children,
our students.
Stop. Sip.
Two hours later
We’d thank each other
as we silently realize
this is a gift
this is a moment
We will remember
as we do it all again
next time.
Jenny, welcome back for this April #verselove! Hooray! I love the repetition of the loved ones. It shows their importance all the more. Sharing happy moments, struggles and hopes of our families, children, and students would be a great way to spend the more with you. I love the idea that the coffee won’t burn
Love this, Jenny! It holds so much truth while expressing the rarity of the shared moments within our friendships and communities. Your pacing with the “Stop. Sip.” works beautifully to give us those brief but strong nourishing moments.
…this is a gift
this is a moment
we will remember…..
Jenny, these words are beautiful – – the indelible impressions of time, stamped in our memories forever, the investment of ourselves into others and them in us. These words are simply music to my ears, and I feel the same way about coffee with my writing friends.
Love imagining the nonstop chatter and how you don’t even worry about burning your tongue on the coffee – that was such a clever detail, illustrating strong friendship:
I love the rushing feeling of this poem, Jenny, slowed down by the “Stop. Sip.” intervals. And yes, “this is a gift / this is a moment.”
I love how your poem mimics the flow of a conversation that is happening simultaneously with eating/drinking. We talk and then it stops and then it starts. Beautiful.
I really enjoyed your repetition. My favorite line was about the tongues burning: The steaming liquid
would have difficulty
burning our tongues
because our tongues
are already in motion
thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kim! This perked me right up!!
If we were having coffee
(well, I’d be sipping tea)
If we were having coffee
I would be smiling
at the sheer awesomeness
of us being together
I mean, c’mon!
How amazing would that be?
Tell me, would you be here visiting me
or am I there visiting you?
Either way, I love it!
If we were having coffee
we’d definitely talk about poetry
when and how we first fell into VerseLove
we’d share how long we’ve been taking part
in this magic-making
I’d tell you, this is my year three,
which means
VerseLove
revealed a healing path through
those painful raw early days of pandemic
If we were having coffee
I would tell you
I had no idea how much
I needed poetry
I had no idea how much
I needed
I had no idea how much
I needed you
If only we were having coffee
(well, I’d be sipping tea)
Maureen,
We’ll meet for coffee and tea at the beach do we can take a walk in nature’s verse and be inspired by whee as t we find along the way. Then we’d write our poems and see what we love about each, such as the way your poem comes full circe and reminds me how much we need poems and friends and nature.
Maureen, what a lovely wistful post. I would like to have some tea with you, there or here! I love that beginning and ending repetition, and especially the “I had no idea how much” stanza. I loved reading that with the subtle, but huge, differences in each thing that was needed. I can relate. I needed poetry…I needed…I needed you. All of the above, and I hadn’t realized how much either. Beautiful poem!
I wanted to mention that I think you and I arrived in this magic-making place together for the first time in 2020. Does that make it year 4? 🙂
Oh my goodness! All those years of teaching preschoolers, I guess I only count to three? lol You are right, this is our fourth year writing together, beginning in 2020. Which year have I forgotten? It is all a blur!
Beautiful poem, Maureen! Love your final side note!
Maureen, I love that it perked you up! As I read through the poems today, I see how very much we all value this writing community – – that it met a need in our lives and saved so many of us in times of grief or anxiety or loneliness or other places where we found we had no idea how much we needed each other. Thanks so much for sharing this today!
It’s so interesting to think about all of the memories and rituals around coffee… I love this prompt! Today’s been kind of crazy rushed, but I carved out a few spare seconds, just like I do when I drink my first cuppa in the morning.
If we were having coffee,
if I invited you to share
this most sacred of rituals
with me,
you should know how special
you are to me,
as I don’t like to share
this time with many.
From the sleepy stumble
into the kitchen, eyes
barely open–
the perfect ratio of coffee to
water, created so many times,
it’s nearly unconscious–
the wait: always delicious
anticipation.
How is it that this most
simple of pleasures
never fails to cheer–
reliable and unfailing?
The sound of the first pour
into the cheery yellow
mug (my favorite),
then the perfect psst of
hazelnut creamer–
I sit on my couch, surveying
my domain, hands encircling
my mug…
and take that first
luscious
sip…
aah…
Julie, the ending is sheer delight. I think we have the same ritual with the surveying the domain and encircling the mug and then – that first sip – – it’s the best! I always say the same thing about a handful of plain M&M’s, my favorite – – that the first one? It’s always better than all the rest. It breaks the barrier and explodes into rich flavor like a party in my mouth. It sounds like we both love the first sip of coffee best, too. Thanks for sharing today!
I hear within these lines the desire (& treasure) of drinking coffee by yourself – what a dear friend one would be, to share this ritual with you – love this! love the sounds that end the poem, sip…/aah… – yes, luscious!
Julie, I relish that quiet time in the morning with my tea. I feel like we could be sitting next to each other, taking it all in!
Julie,
I love how you really capture the ritual of morning coffee and the sacredness of that space—the sleepy stumble and your favorite yellow mug bring the scene to life!
Kim, Thanks for sharing this weekend coffee poem. I made tea for today, but I had fun penning this cute little rhyme to go with the idea of a cute little tea (or coffee) shop to share a drink at! I wish there were more places like that around me or to have that time with someone:
UPON TWO WRITERS MEETING AT A CUTE CAFE
If we were having coffee (or tea if you prefer)
I’d likely sit beside you in order to confer.
You’d do most of the talking
and I would nod along without gawking —
slowly sipping my own brew
eager to have just a little time with you.
We would discuss family and friends.
We would share our favorite pens.
We could chat about our reading,
or the classes we’ve been leading.
You should probably be careful to not spill!
I should probably get up for a refill…
Tea or coffee if you prefer it —
either works for me I do admit.
I’m just glad we had this time to share!
Meet next week? Just say where!
What a fun poem! I love the light, airy mood that your rhyme creates. It makes the coffee date feel all the more fun!
Erika, your rhyme and rhythm of your poem today is catchy and right on point. It feels like the pulse coming alive as we sip coffee and enjoy conversation. I’m so glad you wrote today and shared. My favorite pen: a Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen in dark blue. What’s yours?
I am so impressed and awed by these sweet rhymes! They fall together beautifully. I particularly liked, “You’d do most of the talking
and I would nod along without gawking —”
I can think of a couple dear friends for whom this is true for me…lol
Tea and a Chat
By Mo Daley 4-2-23
If we sat down together for tea,
we’d probably bask in our smugness,
knowing no sane person would knowingly ingest coffee.
Then I’d pepper you with questions
Can you describe your family to me?
What are you reading?
Who influences your writing?
What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken?
What’s your favorite dish from childhood?
What pets do you have (because I know you love pets, like me)?
Do you think I’ll regret it if I retire early?
What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learned?
How is our society going to get back on track?
You know, just some early morning chitchat between friends.
LOL. “[W]e’d probably bask in our smugness. / knowing no sane person would knowingly ingest coffee.” Mo, before meeting my wife, I would refer to tea as “dirty water.” It just tastes like water with “something else in it.” If you want the something else, just have the something else. Now, though not a full convert, I can enjoy a cup of tea now and again. (But my first choice would still be a cup of coffee.) With all that said, your line still checks out! Lol.
Mo, these are amazing questions to discuss with new friends, to ask about retiring early, to ask about best trips and writing influences. Thanks so much for being someone who inspires my writing! You can see it in my poem today! 🙂 I love the books! Thank you, friend!
I’m not sure how our society gets back on track, but you will have no regrets if you retire early! This was great, Mo. I love the “peppering with questions,” a sign of good friends, I think.
Hahaha, Mo! As a coffee addict, I feel your disdain. “early morning chitchat between friends” is so precious.
Kim,
You are definitely one that I would love to sit down to coffee with! You have been a key/core part of this community.
Virtual Reality
I’ll meet you at Winkler’s
for a Dirty Chai.
We all know I wouldn’t
ask you to our house . . .
I am sensitive to it not being enough.
If we were sitting in a booth,
hands wrapped around
the cup of frothy love,
I’d share how this coffee shop
saved my life during
my two-year battle with
panic disorder.
And so did all of you.
For five mornings a month
and the entire month of April,
we met across the miles
through the invisible lines
that I tended to cuss most days
but blessed when I was thrown
a lifeline via them.
Sipping on the earthly warmth,
I’d elaborate that the poems shared
were salve to my soul
and the ones I wrote helped
more than my beloved therapist.
Thanks to this community,
I have a collection
that tells my story.
But I have so much more.
People I have never met know
more about me than family and
lifelong friends.
And your sharing of your stories
and your compassionate comments
have taught me so much.
As much as I cherish our virtual meeting place,
I wish this chat over morning coffee
wasn’t fictional so I could
share space with you.
But
maybe the curtain would be
pulled back revealing the magic
and perhaps changing it.
Virtual …
appearing to exist but not existing
in the physical world.
~Susan Ahlbrand
2 April 2023
Susan, I can relate to the thought that ‘maybe the curtain would be pulled back’ when it comes to my ability to share in a (supportive) virtual space but also wishing these coffee meeting were real! I love that you have a collection of poems that show what you experienced.
Susan,
So much of this resonates with me. Imagining meeting in person stirs something, right? A home “not being enough” and the reality possibly disturbing perceived “magic.” I worried about this at NCTE when I met so many of our friends here — would they still like me?
And here, in this virtual there is such intimacy in what we share with one another but not, perhaps with physical friends or in physical spaces. That is pretty magical, hug.
Love this poem,
Sarah
Susan, I love this! “But I have so much more. / People I have never met know / more about me than family and / lifelong friends. / And your sharing of your stories / and your compassionate comments / have taught me so much.” Same. Thank you, too. 🙂
Susan, such truth and understanding in this poem – – my writer friends know me better than my acquaintances and colleagues, because I will write to the bone here, where the pain is deep and the love is strong. I understand what you mean when you say the writing community saved you. Me too, friend – – me, too. We are all wounded and beautiful, and we have so many scars to be able to help others who are in those tough places we too have been – and are – and will be. Thanks so much for writing this!
Kim, thank you for elevating the craft, the coffee, and companionship in this prompt. Often, I never know which path a prompt lead my poem down, so here it goes…
If we were having coffee,
It probably
Would not be from Scooter’s
Or Dutch Brothers or
Starbucks or Ziggi’s
Or Rocket Brothers or She Brews
Or Scoops and Grinds
Or DoubleShot
Or Hodges Bend
Or the Coffee House on Cherry Street
Or Shades of Brown
Or even the Gypsy Coffee House
With all of its Boho flair.
No! The coffee maker has earned
Its own room in our home.
At 6’x6’, our cafe beckons
Us each morning.
Coffee is made to measure.
Cups stand like soldiers at the ready.
So what if the pint-sized room
Also plays host to the washer,
Dryer, ironing board, vacuum,
And a wide assortment of
Cleaning products.
If we were having coffee,
It would be hot and strong.
It would shoot straight from the hip.
It would be as unpretentious.
Ah, Katrina! This is perfect like so many of the poems here and like you – unpretentious, straight from the hip. I love how you welcome us all into your cafe to be with the soldiers!
Peace,
Sarah
Your imagery is beautifully well done! Cups stand like soldiers…they certainly do defend us every morning against traffic, anyone bothersome, and the slow sleepy start we sometimes have!
Katrina, I love the metaphor – – cups stand like soldiers at the ready. Yes, those mugs are ready in full battle armor to help us fight the sleep of morning and march us straight out into the battle of day. Thanks for writing!
Absolutely love your coffee maker in a room of its own-
that is shared with many, lol
Our cafe
Kim, this is a fun prompt. It’s been a full weekend, so I’m going to let it go without fussing over it.
I’ve never been a coffee drinker,
since you ask,
but I’d love a cuppa’ tea,
herbal, please,
a lovely vanilla apple is my favorite,
because, as I tell my students,
caffeine and I don’t play well.
No, we don’t have to talk much,
we can watch the rain fall
on the newly emerging flowers
hearkening spring in the most
exuberant way.
Yes, I know,
I really can’t sit still for very long–
thus the ban on caffeine–
but I am most content alone,
recharging after the
constant cacophony
that is teaching high school.
It was so nice to see you again,
I love all of my virtual poetry pals
and how, without even knowing,
you’ve all bolstered my confidence
and strengthened my voice.
Thank you, especially,
to Rachelle,
who invited me to write poetry
one iced over winter day in
February of 2021.
Cara,
Love that turn in the fourth stanza to close the poem and the scene’s encounter with “poetry pals”. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was the closing of physical meetings — to be able to tell friends, family, and colleagues that they “strengthened my voice.”
Peace,
Sarah
I love the conversational tone of this poem and how it feels like a conversation I would have after a long day of teaching. Let’s just enjoy some silence, right?
Cara, I’m so glad that you are here – I agree, it has been quite a full weekend! That constant cacophony of teaching high school is a real thing – – and I can hear the background now! I’m so glad you came to write despite the busy days!
Awe! Sweet prompt and reflection! I love how *you* it is. Nobody else could write this poem.
I love how you “watch the rain fall” in the company of your coffee/tea pal – how soothing to sit together and watch.
Cara,
This poem screams you!! From the conversation style to the herbal tea to not not sitting still for long.
Kim, such a great prompt. I could have gone so many different ways with this one.
Weekend Coffee Share Poem
If we were having coffee…
My drink would be black tea
or maybe a chai latte.
If we were having coffee…
We would catch up
on the aches & pains
of our aging bodies
which would morph into
a discussion about which
Medicare plan we were choosing
Since this year we will turn
That magical number 65.
If we were having coffee…
We would talk about our grandchildren
and expound on all the wonderful things
the loves of our lives are doing
and how full if life they
make us feel.
If we were having coffee…
We’d discuss the latest
books we were reading,
and I would tell you
to add Mad Honey
to your list.
If we were having coffee…
I would make sure
we got out our calendars
and made another “coffee” date
sooner rather than later.
I enjoyed reading about your “aches and pains” and Medicare plans. It’s funny how our conversations change over the years. I’m not quite to the grandchild stage but it’s not far off.
Thank you. Being a grandparent is the greatest joy of life!
Rita, the flow of your poem is effortlessly delivered. I like all the details you share which I could totally relate with. The end is perfect.
Thank you, Barb.
Rita, 1. I could have that conversation and would dominate it on the aches and pains of aging and 2. I’m glad to know to add Mad Honey to my list. I’ve had it in a cart on the verge of purchase more than once. And 3 – – thank you for writing today! Every day is coffee date day, especially in April, right here in the Poetry Cafe!
Thanks, Kim. I am going to try and make those coffee dates as much as possible this month.
Kim, this was such a great prompt! And I’m totally with you on the fact “that over the years, I have come to know / you through our writing – so I call you my friend. / I’ll be talking to someone somewhere and you’ll come up. / You always do.” I know (and often think of) these fellow poet peeps on Ethical ELA. (This was the first time I’ve used the term poet peeps, and I regretted it almost immediately, but not enough, it seems, to actually use the backspace key to erase it. So, there you go. We poets are a complicated lot. And often times squishy with a gooey center of marshmallow goodness….I’ll stop now…but, wait a minute, here me out, we could market Poet Peeps…marshmallow peeps shaped liked various poets to coincide with Easter and Poetry Month…who wouldn’t love biting into a T.S. Eliot Peep that tastes like Pretentious Melancholy with a hint of Sour Watermelon?….ok, now I’ll see myself out…)
Thank you, Scott! I would buy the Poet Peeps for sure. I think it could be fun figuring out the flavors for all the poets as you have started with T.S. Eliot, using words from their poems in the actual flavors as you have done with Melancholy. Your brain works in the cleverest of ways.
Sorry for the whole
cloak and dagger
affair – seriously,
it’s not very sharp.
We used it in a
production of
Macbeth years
ago, and the
cloak? Yeah,
I just had this.
I worked at the
Renaissance
Festival years
ago – it’s a long
story.
You can take the
blindfold off the
rest of the way.
Yes, I know you
can see. I can
see your eyeball,
I’m literally looking
at you looking
at me and with only
half of it on you
resemble someone
with a head wound
or maybe a pirate
or maybe a pirate
with a head wound.
Look, there are just
too many variables
at the coffee shop,
too many If-Then
Scenarios, and
besides, I
haven’t been
to a restaurant
in like, three years,
and I don’t particularly
enjoy drinking coffee
through my masks:
It tends to just
make a mess.
So, Voilà!
Here we are: my office
where the magic
happens (if by “magic”
I mean “writing poetry”
and, yeah, that’s
exactly what I mean).
Did you know
(how could you?)
that for awhile there
I would use “voilà!”
in my writing, but I
would accidentally
spell it “viola”?
Once I found out,
I would imagine people,
confused, reading my
emails, wondering why
I would be, all of a sudden,
referencing some string
instrument in the body
of my text.
And that would make
me smile.
…
Um, okay.
After sitting for a bit in,
what I would consider,
companionable silence,
should I drive you back
to your car,
and could we not mention
the whole “he-has-and-
occasionally-wears-a-cloak”
thing?
Thanks.
Here’s an image. 🙂
Love the voice. Feel the flow. Appreciate the wit & originality. You had me at,
I knew I would read this poem a few times over (and I did…and I likely will revisit again)
Thank you, Scott, for the poem and snapshot. I caught that “mask” metaphor as way of thinking about the masks and cloaks we wear in physical and virtual spaces — all the world’s a stage. And poetry is, too. We can try on words, take up a scene, live in a metaphor, and all the while still be authentic in who we are, making sense of the world in poetic bodies, in poetic being.
Peace,
Sarah
Oh, you always manage to make me laugh – – viola. voila. It’s like that tshirt that says BAD SPELLERS OF THE WORLD, UNTIE – – I laugh at that one, too. I love a good Renaissance Festival! Went to one a few years ago, and it’s long since past time to go back and re-experience the wonder. I love that you wrote this verse today – cloak and all!
I laughed out loud at the voilà vs viola, Scott. What a fun, clever romp this was.
I really love this prompt, Kim! I envisioned myself in a coffee shop with a new friend and wondered what I would tell them about myself. It was nice to be in this different space as right now I’m in an airport waiting for a flight. Hope y’all enjoy getting to know me through this poem!
Coffee shop intro
If we were having coffee,
I would tell you how much I love
Pastries and sweets
And how my coffee has to have sugar
For me to drink it.
I would tell you
I’m from the small town Ringling, OK
I’m a pre-service English teacher
And I’m a Christian.
I would tell you
How much I love to read,
That I read 3 or 4 books at a time
And have a stack of books
Waiting for me on my desk,
That I am growing to love writing
As I write more personal and interesting
Pieces and share them with others,
That I love music and movies,
Especially 70s and 80s tunes
And Tangled and The Princess Bride.
We would talk about those light and fun things.
Then I would tell you how I struggle
With comparing myself
And thinking I’m not good enough
And worrying about the future.
Then you’d tell me your struggles
And we would process them together.
Sadly we would have to say goodbye,
And I would tell you how much I loved
Meeting with you
Getting to know you
Sharing life with you
And that we need to get coffee together
Again.
Larin, It’s funny how sitting together over a cup of coffee can open us up to talk about our struggles and our worries. Thank you for your poem!
Larin, I like your take on the prompt – meeting someone in the airport. I too have stacks of books waiting their turn. I can only manage two at a time though. Very impressive three or four!
I low how this is clearly a first meeting and get to know you poem. What better way to introduce yourself and meet people than over a cup of coffee? I share a lot of your interests, so I am sure we could have many fun coffee chats together!
Larin, what a beautiful way to share of yourself with your stack of books and writing and movies – – and the honesty of comparing yourself to others, which we can all do – and yes, yes, we definitely need to get together again. The great news: we get to do this together every day this month! Welcome, friend, and thank you for writing!
Thank you for this prompt. It was one that provided comfort and warm thoughts on this chily Sunday morning.
Oh, join me for a pot of tea.
While it steeps, lets settle at the
table in the sun.
By resting in the sun, I would glance out the window
and make a comment about the wonder of nature
surrounding us,
probably asking you, “Did you see the purple crocuses popping up
along the edge of the sidewalk on your way in?”
If you missed these cheerful announcers of the new season,
I would open the photo on my phone
to share their vibrant beauty with you.
The timer chings and steeping time ends,
so I pour us each our first cup of comfort-
adding milk, honey or lemon at your request.
After a sip or so, we would trade stories about our children
and where life has taken them now.
Both of us wondering “where did the time go?”
and posing the questions to each other
“Do you remember when they….”
As memories from meeting at 4 years old
through all those school years
topple out of our mouths
running over each other
as laughter and tears
fill the same space.
Both our cups are empty, so I gesture with the pot
and you nod yes,
another cup full to friendship to share.
The cups raise and lower,
raise and lower,
while I ask ” What are you reading now?”
Titles spew back and forth
as I open my
GoodReads app to place them on my To Be Read list.
The pot is empty,
there is no time for more
as 3 hours have flown by
in an instance.
We hug,
smile and
say simultaneously what a lovely time it was.
Yes that pot of tea
was a time to cherish
and add to the many moments of friendship and comfort
you have added to my life.
Can’t wait to share another pot with you soon, dear friend.
I love how your poem has you talking about treasured memories as well as present day things. Time sure does go quickly when we are trying to catch up with a friend.
This is a lovely way to begin a day – – the noticing of nature and all the beauty, and taking the time to put it into words – – this gratitude of the colors of the flowers. It’s amazing how three hours can seem like only moments when we are with friends. I’m so glad you shared a photo and wrote today!
Hey Kim. Thank you for the amazing prompt – I saw the title and thought, “YES! Coffee!” Your poem is such a sweet homage to VerseLove and the amazing community here. Here goes mine:
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask you what type of coffee you love,
And what book you’re reading right now,
And what TV show is your current obsession.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you how I loved mocha once and why I don’t anymore,
And the books that I love the most are the ones that tore my heart to pieces,
And jump scares are what I look forward to in the movies that I watch.
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask you what your star sign is,
And what MBTI type you are,
And take your hand to peruse the lines crisscrossing your palm.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you I love talking about myself,
And how I overshare with people who never share back,
And how that causes me to overthink my social skills.
If we were having coffee,
I’d listen to your stories with full attention,
But also interrupt you excitedly with “me too”s and “girl, same”s,
And I’d make plans to meet for coffee again next week,
But then get bogged down by adulthood and fail to follow up.
[The text on the cup reads “Feminist” in Urdu script.]
Saba,
I love that mug! If you were to look at the lines in my hand you’d see a 2” scar caused by a broken beer mug. And if we were to talk about movies I’d ask if you’ve seen RRR.
Saba, Love the mug! I’m an INTJ, and I know it for real – I’d share that with you in response, and I’d tell you that my Inneagram is either a 3 or a 1 and we aren’t sure which, but I can’t land on 2 to compromise. I’m so glad you shared this today, friend! I’m loaded with ME Too’s, too, Girl! Same here! Yes! High Five and Cheers!
Kim, thank you for this awesome reflection. I love coffee, so it sounds delightful to have coffee with you and everyone on this page. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture for today because I skipped it this morning!
Coffee for Introverts
If we were having coffee,
you wouldn’t need to say a word.
Sip your beverage,
lap up a book,
swallow the setting,
consume characters,
slurp up plot.
Or we could steep
original ideas, brew up
fresh poems, and swap
loose-leaves
to get a taste
for the other’s work.
If we were having coffee,
we’d save the dregs of
conversation for
another day.
So, what will it be?
You, me, and coffee
(or tea)?
Rachelle, your language and word play are perfect for the “Coffee for introverts”. I love the “loose-leaf/to get a taste/for the other’s work.” Your closing lines have me laughing out loud. Well played!
Rachelle,
I love the word play in this! All of the drinking and brewing words mixed in to the writing ones–well percolated!
You had me at Introverts. Love your plays on words and language lilts in this poem today! Saving the dregs of conversation for another day is so clever, just to sit and savor the silence – to enjoy the time together without the need for talking. Delicous!
I’m trying to think where to start. The title invites me to look for clues. This stanza is so playful with verbs – “Sip your beverage, lap up a book, swallow the setting, consume characters, slurp up plot.” Love the idea of digesting literature. And then you move on to steeping, brewing – more playful work with verbs. And then the idea of introverts appears with “dregs of conversation.” Thank you for sharing your journey.
Rachelle,
I love your invitation to sip coffee and quietly read a book. I enjoyed your play on word weaving coffee and literature throughout your poem.
Kim, thank you for the inspiration today. I have enjoyed reading the poems and writing my own.
If We Were Having Coffee or a Diet Coke
If we were having coffee today,
I would stand up to hug you,
but ask if you were a hugger first;
my excitement would be palpable.
If we were having coffee today,
I’d tell you I’ve been building
a new nest over the past three years
out of pens, morning pages, slices, and verse.
I’d tell you
it has been sad and lonely
at times
but your words
are filling the spaces
between the twigs.
If we were having coffee today,
I’d say thank you
for this community of writers;
it has changed my life.
The imagery is just incredible, Heather. I love the idea of the nest and all of our words “filling up the spaces / between the twigs.” It’s a really beautiful metaphor, that I will think of when I come to this page now!
Heather, you develop the enthusiasm in your poem so well, and I love the references to building a nest through the use of writer tools. I can relate to feeling my life has changed because of this wonderful group of people writing and sharing their poetry at Ethical ELA.
Heather, I am so glad we have all been there for each other. I love your metaphorical “nest” and how you are building it out of “pens, morning pages, slices, and verse.” I can’t even remember how I got started with the group in 2020, but I am so glad I did.
What a beautiful springtime metaphor of nest building. I have never thought about my own writing that way, but when I am writing it does feel like I am home. I love the words “filling spaces between the twigs!”
Heather, I feel like your words are my feelings – – the pinnacle of what every writer hopes the reader feels! That last line says exactly what I say all the time about this community – – the healing power of writing is real, but when you add the community of people, and supportive relationships, who’ve all shared some of our own trenches, it’s magical. We belong – and we are here for each other.
If we were having coffee today
I’d want to be sure
I could hear every word you shared
Lean in to hear every detail
Your dreams, desires
Every fear
Every happiness
Every moment that you hold dear
I’d listen attentively
Hang onto your every word
Ignore my phone
Any other distractions
When it was time to go
I’d give you a hug
Feel the warmest embrace
I’d be in the happiest place
If I were having coffee with you today
Barb Edler
2 April 2023
I guess the photo didn’t post. Thank you, Kim, for hosting today. I appreciate how your poem connects perfectly with your prompt.
Let me know how to post a photo and I’ll try again. I’m not sure what I’m doing incorrectly.
Barb, your poem has such a nurturing tone to it because of how much emphasis you put on the subject. The penultimate line “I’d be in the happiest place” is so wholesome and genuine. The way you bookend the poem is clever and gives the whole interaction a feeling of closure. Thank you for sharing!
Barb,
Your poem touches on what I think is the most important characteristics of having coffee together: listening and ignoring the phone.
Barb, this is just you—ready to listen and provide a shoulder to lean on. I’d like to hear you too. The warm embrace means so much more than anything else right now. Thank you for your poem today!
Barb, I’d love to see your photo – to answer your question, try clicking on the far right side of the comment box when you click the respond arrow, and there will be a photo icon. Click that, then select your photo and post comment. Hopefully that will work. In your photo, you mention leaning in. That imagery of undivided attention, and truly focusing on the person – – that shows how much you value the time. And I’m so glad you included just that one small indication of rapt attention!
I did do that a couple of times, but it could be something just isn’t working on my end. I tried it again now, but I see that I have like a keyboard spinning at the top of my computer screen so it’s probably my poor internet connection.
Yep, I just did not give the internet connection long enough to get the photo loaded. Welcome to my world minus fiber optics. Ugh!
What a delightful outing this would be! You are so giving,
Just love this, Barb!
Hi Kim, thanks for this prompt and the call to community! I must really need coffee cuz I wrote a poem and then left the page before sharing it. DOH!!! Let’s give it another shot…
Let’s grab a cup of coffee.
But not in a “to go” cup,
Let’s really take a moment
to wrap our hands around
a warm cup
and wrap our hearts around
a warm smile.
I’ll ask you to share about your
everyday.
The happenings that keep our
lives full and complicated and
keep us away from these very
moments.
I’ll wonder how you keep
grounded
in these times when the
shifting tectonics
keep us constantly on
the edge of
balance.
I’ll be grateful for this small respite,
and feel strengthened by the
fabric of community pulled tighter.
Really, it’s just a cup of coffee,
and we each head out,
going our own way, yet,
a bit less alone
as we get ready to face
our daily grind.
…and here’s a coffee pic!
Nice!
This line stood out to me ” feel strengthened by the fabric of community pulled tighter.” Yes, coffee with a friend does make us feel less alone.
Love these lines, Dave
Dave, you really captured how important it is to slow down, enjoy a warm cup of coffee, and share parts of our lives with another person. These moments refresh us and give us encouragement to keep going. Deep connections are vital and should be held onto, which I think you touched on here too as you talk about sharing life experiences with another. Thank you for sharing!
The shifting tectonics and facing the daily grind are used so effectively here to make me stop and reread and reread again those parts of your poem that put a smile on my face and a knowing feeling in my heart. I love the fabric of our community, and I’m so glad you wrote today. The photos with people raising a mug to fellow writers warms my heart with each photo I see. Cheers to you!
Kim – Thank you for such a lovely prompt. What I enjoyed most is that we got to have coffee with friends, even if our friends are far away. Even just the exercise of imagining having coffee with my faraway friend gave me such joy this afternoon.
If we were having coffee,
I’d be looking for that little
Fridge where they usually keep a few
Cans of
Coke
Pop
Soda
Soda Pop
Whatever the term,
I like my caffeine
Bubbly
And in a can
And with sugar substitute
(I know, I know, it’s terrible for you
Let me have my vices)
Unless
They have bottled
Coke made with cane sugar.
Because it’s easier and less
Time-intensive than brewing
Anything.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you how much I
Love the ritual of brewing
My own cinnamon Chai
But only at 4:30 in the morning
When the house is quiet
Around me
And I get the time and thoughts
All
To
Myself.
Then
I’d tell you that I was sorry
To be talking so much
And ask you about you.
We’d bitch and moan
About the state of the world
Because we like to get the negative
Out of the way first.
Then we’d talk about our favorite reads
Riffing off one another
“Oh that makes me think of _____”
“Yes! Have you read __________?”
“No! Let me write that down!”
All the while I fight the urge to belch
Even though I know you won’t judge me
For the burp or for the low-brow soda
(the other folks in the coffee shop might though)
And we bubble over with laughter instead
Punctuated by our own special blend of snark.
If I were having coffee with you,
Time would move too fast
And we’d squeeze extra tight
As we hugged and said in unison,
“We really should do this more often.”
It wouldn’t let me post this picture along with the poem, but here I am with my vice. 🙂
Chea, I agree, the prompt alone made me feel happy. Then your poem with the final line, the familiar phrase, “we should really do this more often” really captured the coziness of meeting with a friend you don’t see enough of.
Chea, the form you used here is so cool as shorter lines made me slow down and really pay attention to the words while longer lines helped me get swept along in the scene and conversation. Really lovely work. I love your use of “bubbly” for soda and for laughter! (also, I’m from Oklahoma, and the only choice I don’t agree with is “coke” for all kinds of soda, lol!)
You won’t get an argument from me, Chea. Coke Zero is as important to my midday as coffee is to my morning. I would not judge you for your “low-brow soda,” promise.
Chea, yes to the Coke in a bottle with Cane Sugar! I love cane sugar – – that is my backup for real sugar and also I enjoy agave syrup or maple syrup if I can’t find a reasonable substitute like Stevia. I’d sit and chat books and poems with you for hours! Thank you for writing today!
Sipping Coffee and Remembering
Wish I’d read this before I finished my coffee
Still, I’ll write so you can see.
As I share what comes into my head
I’m glad I could arise this morning from my comfy bed.
Lying there next to my husband,
Thinking of the three kids we’ve had,
I give thanks for sharing their upbringing
Through the good times and the bad
Since marrying right out of college
With degrees to suggest we’ve gained knowledge,
We’ve lived in five states, one on each coast, and have retired
Back in the Midwest. We thought we’d come here to rest.
Ha! Thanks to connections through NCTE,
I’ve served as an adjunct professor here.
Thanks to connections through NCTE,
I met Sarah on their online List Serve
Folks, is this what I deserve?
Thanks to the invitation from Sarah J. Donovan,
I’ve joined all of you thinking I knew boo about poetry.
Here, I’ve not only gained knowledge, I’ve gained friends
Friends who’ve helped us with beat and rhyme to stay in time.
Thanks to the Lord who orders our steps,
We’re here today sipping coffee.
I smile with glee and wonder
If I can now order some tea.
Love the rhyme, Anna, and the way your life has woven its own rhymes with the lives you’ve nurtured. Great last line moving onto tea, makes me wonder what other rhymes are next in your life.
Anna, I love the humility and passion of lines like “I’ve joined all of you thinking I knew boo about poetry.” Isn’t it wonderful share in a community where we can be ourselves and experiment and learn and grow? I always look forward to meeting you here, albeit in verse.
Anna, I love your photo and as always, the way your rhymes invite me into your thinking and your life. Thank you for sharing your poetry this week – – I’m so happy to have a QR Code of your reading for those in my community to scan and enjoy. Thank you for writing and for sharing this morning extra cup with us.
Thank you, Kim, for this inviting prompt. I love all of the different takes. As a newcomer to this community, I’m so taken by its inviting warmth. You are so special–thanks to Allison Berryhill for inviting me in.
If we were having coffee,
I’d overshare about how I mostly drink decaf now
It’s helping my sleep
But on Fridays, I relish the
background buzz of productivity
If we were having coffee,
I’d describe the “Caitlin Clark for President” sign
I saw driving home through rural Iowa yesterday
It made me cry, thinking about all of us in this state,
united
If we were having coffee,
I’d sing the praises of a blue velvet daybed as
a surprising gathering space–
currently holding my scruffy white dog,
an eight-year-old birthday girl,
a pensive eleven-year-old poet,
and my grandmother’s afghan.
It’s where I write.
If we were having coffee,
I’d ask if you cling to Maggie Smith’s “Good Bones”
like I do–
After 18 years of the system trying to break
me, I still believe:
“you could make this place beautiful”
If we were having coffee,
I’d talk too much because that’s what I do
even when I tell myself to cool it,
convinced I’m more charming than I am
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you how much I appreciate
the warmth of your words
in response to mine
Love “Good Bones” – just discovered it a few months ago. It’s a favorite now <3
Your use of repetition in the first line of each stanza caused me to focus more intently to see what was going to be different in this stanza. It emphasized the simple act of getting together for coffee and how it opens our world to the other sharing drinks with us.
Brenna, the “overshare” part made me chuckle because I also feel I overshare over coffee or about my eating habits. I also like the lines “I’d tell you how much I appreciate / the warmth of your words / in response to mine” as warmth relates to both coffee and the feeling we get when others show love and appreciation towards us. What a nice poem, thank you for sharing!
Brenna, I’m so glad you wrote today and shared your place of writing – – the blue velvet daybed, the people near you, and the afghan. It’s always a beautiful space to invite other writers into where we think our thoughts and put them into the world – – and yours is lovely! Thank you!
Hi Brenna! I sought you out here and was well rewarded! (BTW, you are even more charming than you imagine!) The Kaitlyn Clark image was spot on, and your good bones allusion too. Thank you for inviting us into your blue velvet writing space. <3
Hi my dear writing friends! As you can tell by my poem, I have been delinquent in my writing and am happy to be able to write with you again today. You are a blessing!
Coffee Tales
If I were having coffee with you
I’d be so happy to sit right down next to you.
You would ask me how I am doing
and I would tell you everything about my last week
when I lost my husband
and have been exprienceing sorrow
like no other.
I might weep a few tears
but would take a sip
of warm coffee and know
you have had the same experience
and would aske “how long this grief would last?”
Then I would take another gulp of my warm coffee
and want to know about your past week.
What fun have you had?
What about those doctore appointments?
I would tell you that I hope you are well.
I would raise my mug in a toast to you
and be so happy
that I was sitting by your side.
Gosh, Susan, I’m feeling your sorrow and sending love your way. I don’t think anything could be harder but writing through your grief is good medicine.
Praying for your comfort. Thank you for sharing this vulnerable time with us. You are not alone.
🌹
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss, Susan. I’m glad you are here and thank you for sharing this with us. Your poem is so honest and also really sweet <3
Oh, Susan! I am so sorry for your loss. If I were having coffee with you, I’d cry with you too, and I would tell you the grief doesn’t go anywhere– it stays with you, and you learn to live with your loss.
Peace to your soul and hugs,
Leilya
Susan, I am so deeply sorry for your loss and send hugs and warm thoughts your way. Grief is a beast, and there is no end to it, but perhaps in time it will not seem as overwhelming, as Margaret Simon wrote in her poem today. Many of us in this group have experienced deep, deep grief and just as Stacey said, found writing to be good medicine as we moved through that fog and darkness. We are here, friend.
Susan, Susan, Susan. We didn’t know!
So glad to learn, in reading your poem that you were able to be there with him as he made his transition. May God be with you and the family as you mourn the loss of your dear Spouse, Mr. G! Keep writing. It will help memorialize the wonderful years you had together.
Susan, I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for being a part of this warm and caring community. You’re in my thoughts!
Kim, what a perfect Sunday morning prompt! I am grateful we finally met in person and that we are indeed friends! I never would have imagined the close connections we’d form first through poetry and then at NCTE. I will always treasure our time together.
My poem is a little hard to see on the image so here it is for easier reading.
If we were having coffee
either you’re in my home,
out for breakfast at my favorite spot
or on vacation with me
If we were having coffee at home
you’d sit at the dining room table
after I moved my daughter’s stack of mail
and you’d welcome loving nose nudges from Tootsie
If we were having coffee out
we’d go to The Local Spot or The Coffee Company
I’d order an omelette with egg whites
and you’d have a tough time choosing what’s good
If we were having coffee on vacation
we’d sip slowly before indulging in the breakfast buffet
we would wonder who went to bed early like us
and we would plan our day
of lounging and laughing in Montego Bay
©Stacey L. Joy, April 2, 2023
Hi, Stacey! “Nose nudges from Tootsie” sound so inviting! I love that you are providing choices for the meet up. I’d be happy to spend time talking with you in either of these places, although “lounging and laughing in Montego Bay” is what we might need the most now.
… we would plan our day
of lounging and laughing …
Sounds great to me!
Kevin
I love how you structured this poem by the different settings. I would love to have coffee with you in any of the three. I can relate to the piles of papers that would need moving and going to bed early to prepare for the next day of lounging on the bay.
Stacey, that sounds like such a dream – – having coffee with you and having to move the mail and be nudged by Tootsie. There is nothing like coffee in someone’s home, feeling AT HOME with them. Going for breakfast, having a hard time choosing what to eat, that all sounds like the start of a memorable day in Montego Bay! Laughing and lounging. Thank you, friend, for writing today!
Stacey, your poem offers lovely possibilities. I like the idea of enjoying coffee at Montego Bay! The nudges from Tootsie was very fun, too!
Kim, thank you for this prompt and your welcoming words. I am writing during a layover in DEN. I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!
If we were having coffee today
you’d be my row mate on a flight
–to warmer weather, sun, dry air
I’d tell you I love to travel, new places
unique adventures where locals only know
–traversing through history, food, culture, & art
I’d say I usually drink tea, chai or green
but only drink coffee if it’s flavored up
–lavender lattes are my current favorite
I love exploring through movement, writing
discussing potential & change
–hopeful that my next sip will take me away…
Airport wifi is delaying my pic
3rd times a charm?
Stefani, how nice it would be to be your row mate right now away from papers and obligations for a few days. I actually went to meet with friends for coffee yesterday, and one of them had a lavender latte 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
What a lovely ‘trip’ through this poem, Stefani! I am not a good traveler, but I love the romance of reading about others’ travels. You capture that mood so well here. I LOVE lavender! And latte that up – sounds wonderful. I hope you have safe travels – such a fun shot of your cuppa!
I would love to be having coffee with you on a place carrying me away from all obligations. I love “traversing through history, food, and culture.”
Stefani,
I like the use of dashes to draw our attention to concluding lines in each stanza. I want to join you on that flight to sun and warmer weather.
Stefani, YES to the lavender latte. There is something about that drink that makes my entire being smile. It’s good hot, it’s good iced…..it’s just transformational. I’m glad you were able to squeeze some minutes in your layover to write. Writing while traveling is often one of the most challenging times to write. I hope you have a safe trip!
Thank you for taking your readers on your flight. You situate us and then tell us a little bit about you, the traveler. You’ve caused me to be curious about “lavender lattes” something off my radar. I hope the “next sip” took you to new heights.
Thank you, Kim! This is such a generous invitation to have coffee together. I am so grateful that we met and became friends, first via Ethical ELA, Verselove, and then meeting in Anaheim. Your thoughtfulness, encouragement, and support mean so much. I love every word in your poem. Cheers to you, Friend!
Coffee Time with a Friend
If we were having coffee, I would welcome you to my home,
A place where old traditions of hospitality are still alive.
I would invite you to sit at the head of the table,
Where we have our dearest guests.
Not asking whether you are thirsty of hungry,
I would make fresh coffee and lay the table
With all sweets and treats I have at the moment.
This is what my grandma (I wasn’t lucky to meet her)
Would do for anyone walking into her place.
My mom used to do the same for anyone stopping by our house.
I would make Turkish coffee in a djezve
And serve it in beautiful coffee cups, refilling it as needed,
So each sip tastes fresh and full of flavor.
I would make you feel comfortable
Without asking questions that might be intrusive.
“People tell me as much as they trust me” is my motto.
You would share as much as you want—
We would talk about your family,
People you love, places you cherish,
Things you relish and appreciate.
And if you have questions for me,
I would reply to let you into my world.
If we were having coffee, I would welcome you to my home,
I would be grateful you came and spent time with me.
Here is the picture. I click to post too soon.
Great reading you this morning, Leilya. Wish were having coffee (but I’ve a few more weeks of fasting. And thank you for giving me a name for the Turkish device I use weekly…the djezve. I just knew it as my copper friend.
Leilya, that display of coffee and sweets looks amazing. Having met you now also brings a different experience to your poem. Thank you for sharing and inviting us into your world today.
Leilya,
I love how I can feel the warmth in your home from this poem. The combination of not asking about hunger or thirst with the line “people tell me as much as they trust me” is so inviting and gentle. Thank you for sharing your words and your slice of home!
Leilya, I love the welcoming feelings your poem brings and I know it’s authentically YOU! You are the kind of person with whom I could share my deepest secrets because of your gentle and loving spirit. The sweet treats make it all the more special!
I, too, would be grateful to spend time with you! ☕️
Leilya, I have a friend who once said, “Life is too short to drink out of an ugly mug,” and she had the most gorgeous mugs – – and this poem, your photo and warm welcome to let us into your world, reminds me that coffee/tea/sipping time is warm together time, bringing out the sweets and sharing the good times and good food in good fellowship. Thank you for writing, and I’m so thankful that I count you among my friends – – and that we got to meet in Anaheim and share a meal together there. Cheers to YOU as well!
Thank you, Kim for this prompt. I knew about Boo, but not about Fitz and Ollie – great names! I was overthinking and overthinking. James’ poem made me feel that I should just take a chance. I going to free myself and just write without thinking or composing.
Coffee, you say?
Steaming, dark, rich –
Stop. Smell the aroma,
All at once comforting,
Familiar, home.
Coffee, you say?
Make it like my grandpa’s
Lots of warm milk,
Caramel colored –
Café au lait, you say.
Coffee, you say?
Yes, let’s sit a while,
Favorite chipped cups
In our warm hands.
Breathe it in.
Coffee, you say?
Take a sip
And another.
Drink down the richness,
Let it fill our days.
I love the poem, Joanne! “Coffee, you say?” and I am already your friend. Thank you for sharing today. “Let’s take a sip/ And another.”
Thank you. It’s an honor to be your friend!
Oh, the detail here with “chipped cups” is just the sort of moment familiar to one and all.
Sarah
Thank you! I liked just thinking about process and not worrying about the product.
Joanne, I love the image of a chipped cup (also thinking of Chip from Beauty and the Beast) and how we don’t always need to discard something because it isn’t perfect. Thank you for sharing today.
Thank you! I just wrote about the beauty in making mistakes on wordancerblog.com. I guess it lingered in this poem. It is so important for mental health. The children I work with embrace mistakes and know that they are necessary.
Your line “favorite chipped cups in our warm hands” popped an image on my favorite mug instantly into my head and a smile on my face. Your words brought comfort in the image and in resting and sitting awhile. Very peaceful stanza.
Good one, Joanne!!! It sounds like it should be the script of a coffee commercial! I want the “favorite chipped cups in our warm hands” and all the rest!
Hi Joanne – I’m so happy took a chance today. And what a lovely piece of writing you composed! From the 5-line stanzas to the repeated line, this is one finely crafted piece of art. I can taste the richness of the coffee, feel the curve of my favorite mug, and smell the warm, dark aroma that lingers well after the last cup has been brewed. What you have created really entices the senses. Coffee, you say? I think I’ll have another cup.
Joanne, such a lovely flow, this slow savoring of coffee and home – and you reminded me of how my grandparents poured Carnation evaporated milk in their coffee. It was soooo good.
This poem has such a unique jingle and rhythm, and the repeating line is joyful. Isn’t it interesting that when we overthink, writing becomes a task at times – – but when we “drop the reins” and let the pen lead, it takes us to places we would have never gotten on our own. It’s one of those summits that writers know when they climb that mountain, and you’ve shared your view with us today! Thank you!
JoAnne, these are the lines that speak to me.
Coffee, you say?
Yes, let’s sit a while,
Favorite chipped cups
In our warm hands.
Breathe it in.
I’d add “with chipped fingernails”. Who’s got time to drink coffee and get our nails done?
Take care, my friend. And keep sharing coffee and poetry.
Hello Kim,
This is a great idea to start off the month and get to know everyone! So many of the voices I’ve heard in this group emerge in conversations, and so many poems became inspirations for our work together. I love your memory of the first poetry that inspired you. I’m going to read the A Child’s Garden of Verses with my son.
Weekend Coffee Share Poem
If we were having coffee together,
I would tell you about how, in 2019, I met Sarah in Las Vegas.
She described the concept. The process.
Writing. Sharing. Supporting.
I was intrigued. I still am.
Sip.
Do I always participate? No.
Sometimes life gets in the way.
Sometimes inspiration is rolling across the tundra on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
Sip.
If we were having coffee together, right now,
I would tell you that the participants in this group are incredibly talented,
But you know that already.
I would also tell you that I have used these strategies to inspire writing in my classroom.
The result? Voices! Passion! Honesty! Creativity!
Sip.
Ready for another cup? Here you go.
Now, enough about me.
Your turn. I’m all ears.
Sip.
Thank you for sharing, Shaun! Your poem is so real and inviting to the conversation.I like and can relate to the lines:
“Do I always participate? No.
Sometimes life gets in the way.
Sometimes inspiration is rolling across the tundra on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.”
We are all here thanks to Sarah and her incredible idea to connect thousands of teachers.
So good to see you, Shaun. I am glad you know this space is here for you to circle back to with open textboxes and coffee on! The “voices” in your classroom is the the sort of life/living that is our why while also setting us down other railroads.
Cheers,
Sarah
Shaun, thank you for sharing and connecting to your history with Verselove. My husband always drinks his coffee out of kid-adorned mugs. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday coffee.
I can relate to what you have written and would respond, “Ditto.” I can especially relate to your second stanza, but I hope to be more present this month and the monthly open writes.
Shaun, so much to love! Your vulnerability is all of our realities. Life gets in the way more often than not. I am grateful for your poem and the fond memories you shared from meeting Sarah. I hope you’ll enjoy another sip!
Shaun, I think one of the things I love the most about the group – aside from the relationships and writing together – is the inspiration I took to the classroom as a writing teacher when I was still in the classroom with my high school students. For me, the prompts were like having a plan at the ready all the time – just being able to invite students to write and enjoy the process and share – – and, as you said, support. Thank you for writing today!
If we were having coffee, I’d have tea, a nice London Fog latte with oat milk or a sweet and spicy masala chai. (But, I understand that most people prefer coffee, so I still say, “Let’s go out for coffee,” like I call tissue Kleenex.)
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about February 26, 2020, when the government shut down schools because a bus driver in Bahrain had Covid-19 and dropped off children at three different schools the day before.
I’d tell you that I started writing in March with the Slice of Life story challenge, and then on into April with this group of poets. I’d tell you that poetry and this community filled my sails during those following months of isolation, fear of the unknown, and virtual teaching. And then I’d smile and remember that this community has been filling my sails ever since.
I’d ask you about your story of writing. What sustains and keeps you on this journey? Then we would laugh and read poems to each, our favorites that we have written and our favorites others have written on us.
I’d also have to tell you that I normally drink tea in my jammies, and the photo my husband snapped is me ready to go out the door on an out-of-town adventure.
Good Morning, Denise! Happy Chai morning! I would go for coffee or a cup of hot English Breakfast with a slice of lemon with you. We would talk for hours. I would love to hear more about Bahrein, about your writing, and anything you would like to share. Have a great out-of-town adventure!
You look lovely, Denise. (Also, sorry about the delay in your poem posting yesterday. Appreciate your grace.)
Love the thread of scenes from the bus driver to writing communities to tea in this picture on your way out the door — and your husband as witness.
Have a great adventure.
Sarah
I’m with you on the tea – esp chai! I’m sitting here having some now! Alldaylong! Sad remembrances of times of ‘closure,’ but also of what it opened up for so many of us. Likewise, my writing group at the time really and truly ‘saw me through.’ Someday, for sure, let’s have tea!
Denise, I am excited to be writing with you again this month. I would love to share poetry with you. My story of writing started during the COVID shut down, and the various communities of writers keeps me on this journey.
Denise, you are a breath of fresh air and filler of my sails too! I love your heart, it’s golden. I can imagine us enjoying tea, reading poetry, and laughing the day away!
Lovely!!!
I would enjoy tea with a little lemon and honey. 🫖🍋🍯
Denise, I see you have your Starbucks Been There series mug for your state – California! I am a tea lover, too – – especially Chai, especially Chai in the fall. I’m so glad you are still going strong, writing on the go – – taking time to say hello and share with us before your adventure! Cheers!
This is beautiful, Denise. Such a thought-provoking question, “What sustains and keeps you on this journey?” It would be so fun to sit and have tea with you. Amazing to think that you tumbled into blogging and poetry-writing in 2020, in those first intense weeks of the pandemic…and that’s where we met!
I love the joyful tone of your invitation to join you for coffee ~ you have elevated the humble mug to a priceless gift. Cheers and gratitude for this!
Having a Coffee With You
If we were having coffee, Frank O’Hara
We would meet at the MOMA Cafe
Where you started working as a ticket counter
Then moved up to assistant curator
If we were having coffee
I would tell you how much I love your poems
Your kangaroos and sequins
If we were having coffee
I’d tell you about my favorite professor, Thomas Yingling
Who first introduced you to me
If we were having coffee
I would want you to play piano for me
As this was your first love
If we were having coffee
I would tell you to be
Careful on Fire Island July 25, 1966
If we were having coffee
I’d want to know about how poetry
Should be between two persons
Rather than two pages
If we were having coffee
I’d love to get to know you and your
Legendary sparkling personality
Your passion and warmth
If we were having coffee
I’d love to end our conversation as you read
Part of Autobiographia Literaria to me:
And here I am, the
Center of all beauty
Writing these poems!
Imagine
Wow, you chose the perfect route to take with the prompt. I adore this! I imagine you would have the most unforgettable experience with Frank O’Hara!
Jennifer,
This is brilliant, and by far my favorite poem I’ve read today. I learned a lot about frank O’Hara from your poem. I love the idea of a poem that subtly teaches, and I have ideas for teaching and assessing thanks to your wonderful poem. Most of all, I’m drawn to these lines:
“poetry
Should be between two persons
Rather than two pages”
and isn’t this the essence of having coffee w/ a friend?
Jennifer, I adore the Frank O’Hara Lunchtime poems and his famous Having a Coke With You. I love how you changed that title word to Coffee. What a beautiful testament to his life and such a great way to share some of his life with us. I love the thought that poetry should be between people and not pages. Thanks for writing today!
Thanks for this prompt Kim ~ surprised at how easily this poem wrote itself.
If we were having coffee
If we were having coffee,
I might first tell you
what lovely earrings
you were wearing—
(if, of course you were)
or comment
on your nail color,
or lovely sweater—
I notice everything—
I’m a great collector
of things—
earrings, sweaters
feelings too—
there’s always
something to notice,
to put in my bucket.
Then I’d ask questions,
I’m a great listener—
Fitzgerald or Hemingway?
Mozart or Madonna?
Spring or fall?
Listening is so much easier
than talking—
than feeling my heart flutter
before my voice speaks—
the effort it sometimes
takes,
to hold onto thoughts
too deep
for morning coffee,
for instance,
it isn’t really true
that lightening
never strikes
twice in the same
place,
or that broken bones
heal stronger
and time heals all wounds.
Ann,
I love the truth in these lines and agree:
“Listening is so much easier
than talking—”
and
“it isn’t really true …time heals all wounds”
Simply beautiful. I am especially drawn to your final lines that follow “it isn’t really true”
Ann, being able to have the deep philosophical conversations after the small talk and noticing things is such a rich, meaningful way to spend time nourishing the soul and mind. Thank you for writing today and sharing morning coffee! Cheers!
If we were having coffee …
If we were having coffee…
First off, I’m having Diet Coke.
I never took to the taste of coffee
not flavored
not ice cold.
But I do like
coffee cake
coffee ice cream
coffee candy.
If we were meeting for our drink of choice
I’d ask, “How are you doing?”
and give my full attention to your answer.
I’d share what I’ve been reading (something YA or middle grade most likely)
and give my full attention to your answer.
I’d let you know how nervous I was,
that day a couple years ago,
to share my poem publicly.
I’d thank you for commenting
I’d let you know how that one comment made all the difference.
As we get our final refills,
Make our way to leave,
I’d ask to give you a hug
and look forward to our next meeting
in this wonderful space,
sharing our lives
through poetry.
Jennifer Kowaczek
April 2023
Jennifer,
I agree “one comment can made [make] all the difference.” Forging connections through our poetry is uplifting and sometime just what we need.
I love your last stanza. Many of my coffee dates end in a hug, and this is a hug to your reader!
Jennifer,
There’s so much to like in this poem–I completely relate to not liking coffee, but liking the coffee adjacents (that’s me with tomatoes and bananas!). And the vulnerability of sharing out into the public juxtaposed with the reassurance of that first comments really resonates.
I love the repetition early in the piece–“coffee cake, coffee ice cream, coffee candy,” and I got a great sense of you from the repetition of the line “I’d give full attention to your answer”–a calm slowness as respite from the sensation that people are always moving along to the next thing. I, too, felt such graciousness from the community–I had forgotten how nice it felt to receive response to writing. Thanks for sharing your piece.
Jennifer, we are kindred writers and readers. Every single line speaks to and for me. I am still nervous to share some of my writing, but I am doing it anyway.
Jennifer,
I also am a huge fan of these:
You nailed it with this one. We all need to remember the power of one comment on a poem. I sense your grace and kindness throughout the entire poem.
Jennifer, this resonates most strongly with me:
I’d thank you for commenting
I’d let you know how that one comment made all the difference.
To belong, to feel welcome, to be noticed, to be heard, to be acknowledged, to be celebrated, to be affirmed, to be embraced – – those comments and this group are medicinal. I’m so glad you wrote today and shared your verse!
One comment…yes.
Kim,
Way to be inspired by blogging, and I do wish I were still in Thailand. A cup of coffee in a lovely coffee shop or w/ our fur babies is ideal, but I’m a solitary coffee drinker almost every day, so I’m distilling my morning ritual into a short verse today. Love that photo, too. 🤗
Morning Joe
Right on cue
Ken makes brew.
Choose my mug
for caffeine drug.
With Orangey gone
Not that one.
Pour a cup
Sip black stuff.
On sub days
travel takeaway.
Cup of joe
off we go.
—Glenda Funk
April 2, 2023
*I have a mug that says, “I hate when I wake up in the morning and Donald Trump is president.” It was a gift from a student. I retired the mug after the last election. Lord help me if I have to unretire it.?
I enjoyed the beat and rhythm of the poem!! Gets you going- like coffee! Very stylish!!
Glenda, this holds the pacing of a coffee house – percolating, fast, on the move, much like coffee itself. Love that the mug is retired and your sentiment about its possible (never in this lifetime) revival. I loved your haibun prompt yesterday and had every intention of writing but we were travelling for 19 hours and it just didn’t happen (arrived home 4am our time). I’ll get to it soon enough as I want to introduce my students to this new form.
Great rhyme and rhythm. Made me want to tap my cup of coffee to the beat!
Thank you for a glorious day 1, Glenda. So appreciate you and your generosity of time and compassion in welcoming all our poets.
Love it when Ken makes an appearance in your poems, when the partners who witness our poet lives appear for a phrase or stanza. A lovely ritual of choosing mugs.
Peace,
Sarah
The the energy that comes across in the rhyme. Your 6 word and mostly one syllable stanzas add to the quick energy feel.
Glenda, you never cease to amaze me. The flow and rhythm, perfect! Short lines and quick pacing match the pace of my mornings when I have coffee on school days.
Please, God, don’t let us have to be under the influence of Orangey ever again!
Glenda, I love the rhyme and rhythm of your lines. What a great way to raise a mug! I’ve heard it’s scriptural for Ken to make the coffee (Hebrews). 🙂 I can hear it fifty times and still chuckle – – because coffee is always better, like dinner, when I didn’t brew it/make it myself. Thanks for writing today, and cheers to you!
Glenda, I love the active musical tone your poem conveys. You show a great deal about yourself in a just few lines. I understand your allusion after reading your footnote. I agree, do not have to unreturned the orangey one.
The rhythm holds the energy of morning getting-go. Love this!!
“Cup of joe/off we go” – love these quick couplets, a parallel to that ‘jump’ and ‘boost’ that caffeine gives to us. My morning tea is very much a solitary ritual – but, if we were to meet for coffee/tea, that would be a very fun and welcome social event!
Kim —
This was such an uplifting prompt to find in my inbox this morning. I must confess I am not an early riser, so my coffee consumption occurs mid morning.
I love how your poem conveys the message of connection through a shared love. I agree, verselove changed me, too. I discovered this forum during our initial lockdown in 2020 and writing poetry with all of you truly sustained me.
I am short on time this morning, since I woke up so late! LOL! So I cranked out something quickly, but I plan to revisit this prompt later.
If we were having coffee
I’d confess I think coffee and poetry is the best pairing
like wine and cheese
If we were having coffee
I’d tell you I savor the taste of the bitter brew,
and sometimes in my poetry melancholy bleeds through
but I’m not opposed to sipping a sweetened latte with you
to lighten the mood
Not all of my poetry is doom and gloom
If we were having coffee
I’d tell you I’m delighted to have discovered like-minded poetry lovers
who love word play and language,
who embrace both laughter and tears
Who allow their poetry to reflect hope, dreams and fears…
Tamika ~ I appreciated this poem because “sometimes in my poetry melancholy bleeds through” and it did today though like you “not all my poetry is doom and gloom” and reading my thoughts in your poem uplifted my spirit!
Tammi,
This is a beautiful pairing of coffee and poetry! I love how you weaved in the subtle differences/similarities of both.
Tammi, I loved the sometimes-rhyme and near rhymes in here that make this sound so playful, even while some of the sentiments are a little bluer in tone. Great poem.
Tammi, thank you for writing and sharing that VerseLove saved you, too. What therapy I found here on the heels of my mother’s death. Like-minded poetry lovers are a healing balm to the soul!
If we were having coffee
I’d reach across the table to grab your hand,
Thank you for being here
To share words that may or may not
Have much meaning to you,
But that you took the time to sit
And listen anyway.
If we were having coffee
Perhaps I’d pour my heart out
For the first time in a long time,
Sharing my burdens
And asking you to share yours
So we each might feel a little less alone.
If we were having coffee
I’d ask if you prefer flavored or plain,
Telling you I could not even stand no cream or milk
Until recently,
When I decided less dairy and sugar
Might just improve my health
And overall well-being…
Really? Did I just say that?
But mostly if we were having coffee
I’d be thankful to sit for awhile,
No commitments to rush to
Closing off the outside world for a bit
To share time with a friend.
Heidi,
Love this:
I’d reach across the table to grab your hand,
Thank you for being here
To share words that may or may not
Have much meaning to you,
But that you took the time to sit
And listen anyway.
You’ve really captured the essence of friendships and connection. Having someone to listen is what we all crave and being the listener extending the hand is what we all need to do more often.
Heidi, thank you for writing today! Yes, I love your commitment to the undivided attention, the giving of time, and the valuing of the experience. I, too, have come to love black coffee too. It’s a wonderful way to savor the full flavor of the bean.
I’d sit in a corner trying to lay low
until eventually, I’m noticed
and a couple confessions
slip out
1
I’m sipping hot cocoa
cuz I’m from Utah, a Latter Day Saint
I’ve never tasted coffee
2
I don’t teach right now
I’m taking a mom-hiatus
reading to toddlers
But even though I don’t quite belong
I can’t resist joining this group each year
Your poems make me laugh and cry
help me see and feel seen
I thank you for letting me be with you
for keeping me
connected and writing.
A lovely thank you note to this community of writers. You are welcome at whatever stage you are in. I have toddler grands and reading to them is the joy of my life!
Hank you for connecting with us! That’s what this group is about, isn’t it? Keeping connected and writing…
That is the beauty of this community. We all may bring different life experiences which is reflected in our writing, but despite our differences we have our similarities, our humanity, our love of poetry and beauty. This brings us all together. I, too, took a mom-hiatus to read and play with my three children. I was home for ten years before returning to teaching. Those were the best years! Enjoy!
Rachel,
So glad you are here in this place! I imagine myself sitting with you with my own hot chocolate. I’ve tried to like coffee but it’s a big no go.
You may not be teaching in front of a classroom full of students, but never forget you are your children’s first teacher.
Jenny
Isn’t it lovely to think of poetry as connection? How much you’ve said in so few words! I’m glad you’ve come out of your corner and so happy to meet you!
Rachel,
You belong here as much as anyone else. When I saw the prompt, I thought about you. I think you know I’m in Idaho, the suburb of Utah. I was only one of a few coffee drinkers in my school for years, and I took some flak from some LDS students. As a non-Latter Day Saint, I know how it feels not to belong, but I also know many LDS members who work hard to change that paradigm. I’ll join you in sipping hot chocolate and have coffee later because that’s what writing friends do.
Glad to be your neighbor, Glenda!! 🙂 Thanks to you & everyone! It’s great to be so welcomed here.
Brave and honest. You are welcome here.
Rachel, I loved getting to know you in this piece–the line “help me see and feel seen” is so much of what poetry is about, isn’t it? I’m glad you’re here.
You belong and you matter so don’t you go anywhere! I appreciate your honest sharing and for taking the time from the busiest schedule EVER to write with us. Being a mom of toddlers is beyond any teaching, writing, full-time job out there. I often look back and wonder how I survived. LOL.
I applaud you!
Rachel, you are absolutely welcome here. In fact, most of the time, when I go into the coffee shop here, I don’t get a coffee….I get iced water with a splash of sugar free syrup or a cup of tea. We all belong, and I’m so glad you came to write with us today. Thank YOU for coming to be in a group where ALL belong!
Many thanks, Kim! What a lovely way to create a writerly community!
—————————————————————————————————————–
If we were having coffee…
I might still wear a mask.
But you would see the joy in my green eyes,
excited to make a new friend–even if only for a little while.
You would hear my confession that my coffee habit
began at 38. And while it’s difficult to claim that
I’m a writer and a poet, I’ve been working on this
since the third grade.
If we were having coffee…
I would lose myself in your stories while secretly wondering
if I measured up or what might have been if I’d taken
just one of your pathways. And I would laugh…
mostly genuinely, but sometimes when I think
I’m supposed to. Of course, I would ask you
probing questions. At least until
I sensed a familiar awkwardness – then I’d confess that
awkwardness is my super-power.
If we were having coffee…
I’d ask about your favorite podcasts and share with you mine
and wonder if you meditate or try to and if sometimes you lose
yourself in the algorithms exacerbating an already addictive
personality and if you know how to get back to healthier
habits like being outside. Or being still. Or taking walks, even
if just around the neighborhood.
If we were having coffee…
I would avoid talk of politics and religion — not because
I don’t know how to have uncomfortable conversations. I’m just
so tired of feeling so angry. Instead, I would ask
What poem will you carry? on April 27th —
Carry a Poem in Your Pocket Day. When you asked for more information,
I would text you the link:
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
and see if we could meet again
over coffee.
I enjoyed this conversation with you. We are alike in the fake it till you make it side of things. I’m getting better at looking like I’m an extravert while all the while stewing about what I just said. Was it awkward? Did they notice? Thanks for the reminder about Poem in your pocket day.
“If I measured up or what might have been if I’d taken
just one of your pathways.” I had to stop there and think about what you said, and I realized that we all do that—do I and what if… I will think about this more than once today, I think.
Shelly,
I love this question and the information:
What poem will you carry? on April 27th —
Carry a Poem in Your Pocket Day. When you asked for more information,
I would text you the link:
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
I confess. I didn’t know that this was a thing and I’m am really excited about Carrying a Poem. Good thing I have a nearly a month to pick one!
Nodding my head along with soooo much of this. I’m also still masking, so any idea of going out for coffee is not on my radar yet. But so much of that brain talk is the constant chatter I also reckon with in my own noggin. Funny how it never looks so to others, but there’s a constant circus going on up there! Nicely captured, Shelly. We are kindred spirits.
LOVE!!! LOVE!!!! LOVE!!!!
I want this experience in real life because you are my kind of person! I don’t want to talk politics and I don’t want to be angry! Let’s talk about meditation and nature walks, podcasts, and poem in your pocket day! Yay!! All good stuff for us!
🚶🏽♀️🧘🏽♀️🎧
Shelly, these words, this coming to the brink of identifying oneself as a writer and poet, are shared by so many:
And while it’s difficult to claim that
I’m a writer and a poet, I’ve been working on this
since the third grade.
And yet look at you! You ARE a poet. And you ARE a writer. Continuously becoming.
Thanks for writing with us today, friend!
thank you Kim – you’re awesome- I love the prompt- very creative!!!!
Joe’s Cup
Nestle down at the table,
sip, sip, listening to your fable.
Perking to find the rhyme,
aroma allows me to unwind.
Ceramic grips as your story unfolds,
steam rings form, releasing my soul.
Sugar ring bites enlighten my delight,
as your darkness-enhances my sight.
Cream bubbles calm your bitter swallow,
As thoughts crowd into my sleepy hollow.
A morning friend amongst friends,
“How you doing? And where y’all been?”
This precious time before I start,
palm warmness with a racing heart.
Oh how you spark the sunrise!
SLAYING
it’s the Sandman’s demise!
Cinnamon waves washed him away,
but the caramel blessings are here to stay.
Others are coming to break up our time,
ill teach them all of your rhymes.
Morning good, yes for all,
sip, sip, with vanilla recall.
Your fable remains in a quarter cup,
The rest I gulped to make my mind to erupt.
They have your brothers of different flavor,
Caffeinated- their stories I’ll savor.
“ Let’s listen, now, as they join,
Go ahead!
crowd their minds with fables and poems”
Boxer,
I see we’re sitting together at the rhyming couplet table. I like the one-to-one conversation over coffee. It’s intimate. We’ll done w/ the rhyming, the details, and the essence of coffee w/ friends.
I love the couplets 🙂 They feel like a music, a gentle coffee house vibe! Your sandman section in the middle is great – “Cinnamon waves washed him away, / but the caramel blessings are here to stay.” Thank you!
I’m tasting the cinnamon waves, but craving the caramel blessings! I need a vanilla recall!
Boxer,
What’s so cool is that I can hear your voice in this one, saying
A morning friend amongst friends,
“How you doing? And where y’all been?”
That y’all is just the heart of where we are in Georgia. Your style and rhyme and voice are strong here! Thanks for writing today!
Oh, Kim. What a sweet way to spend a sunny Sunday morning! Thank you so much. This is all kindness and gentleness to write and read! I’m going to soak into so many of these conversations! I lost contact with some friends during the pandemic and imagine someday catching back up with them. And since I’m not so good with selfie-ing, I went with a drawring (yes, that’s how I like to say it) instead.
Friend!
It’s been too long, for sure.
Pre-pan, at least. I know!
How gray we’ve gotten
and soft around the middle.
You’re retired now, yes?
Tell me all about your new gig.
You’re a consultant, nice.
I hear there’s good money in that
and none of the bullshit.
Me? Oh, just a couple more years
I’m already practicing for
everything I want to do.
I won’t miss the work at all
only some of the people.
But here we are.
We find one another no matter
the time that has passed.
Yes, yes.
Let’s get another cup
and talk about
what comes next
for us both.
I just sat at that table with you. And it felt oh so good. Thank you for this!
Denise,
Love the drawing. Your poem highlights the importance of listening, and I enjoy the way I see you listening to a friend as you commiserate. When you do retire, I hope you’ll miss the work and the people, but I understand why so many teachers don’t.
Love the portrait! Dreaming for “none of the bullshit.” And yes, grays & bellies…that’s the flavor of the month!
Denise, you just whipped this drawing up this morning? –Fabulous and beautiful!
I do mostly autobiographical comics, so the self-portrait becomes an easy sketch. (That’s just a scrap paper doodle with colored pencils and perfection is not allowed.) Definitely encourage you to try it! Lynda Barry’s Syllabus is a great gateway book as is Rebecca Fish Ewan’s Doodling for Writers.
That drawring is the best! Oh, wow, Denise! I so enjoyed your video from last month’s Open Write of your desk, and so I can visualize your writing there this morning and then drawing this drawring of you and your cup tipped up, ready to enjoy the day. I’m so glad you are writing today – – old friends do just that – – no matter the time that has passed, we pick right back up like a day hasn’t gone by. So here we are!
Oh, Dr. J….if you only knew this frog in the morning. Hardly ribbeting at all. I isolate on a lily pad with the cattails cursing the singing birds. I’m not human until at least 10 a.m. Even so, I love this prompt and I’m a lil’ more cheerful from your early greeting. You’ve quickened the process for waking up a little sooner than usual.
Mug Shot
Sorry to be Squidward,
but I just birthed a cow.
calf-inated please…
No, I don’t typically do these morning rituals…
can’t espresso myself this early.
No rise & grind for this Star-bucker.
Simply one, miserable mug of coffee —
the depresso who doesn’t give a %#$@.
My bad. No Folgers in my cup.
I shouldn’t have told you
where you could dunk your donut, exactly,
(but I didn’t appreciate your glazed
ring-toss around my middle finger, either).
I know. I know. I know.
You expected me to sing,
“You are so brew-tiful to me,”
but there’s been a latte on my mind lately,.
Alarm clocks. Eye boogers. Adulthood.
Sorry this mochas you sad.
It’s just I was up all night coffee and sneezing
(allergic to the tree sperm of April).
No. No. Don’t say that. It’s me, not you.
I’m not a morning brew
and ou knew I was a crotchety,
cantankerous crab when you met me.
I’m still afflicted with the sham of sunrise.
Got this from my mother —
you have no idea how many heads
my father’s had chewed off.
I mean, if we were meant to pop out of bed,
wouldn’t we sleep in toasters?
Yes, one more cup.
I’ll be good in another hour.
Oh, you nimble word dancer, you
Thank for this, Bryan …
Kevin
I laughed and laughed. The puns, and the sarcasm, and the the chewed off heads…
Bryan,
You’re not alone in this “don’t talk to me” morning life. My voice isn’t ready to chirp that early. Clever wordplay in “can’t espresso myself this early.
No rise & grind for this Star-bucker.” and following.
Whoops. Forgot the photo. If you have any interest, there’s a documentary on my bed head during the Covid home-stay on You-Tube. So far it has not won any awards nor has it been acclaimed anywhere.
OMG, brilliant and hilarious! These lines had me laughing out loud!
How on earth did you come up with so many clever plays on words? You’re incredible.
This. This. This is just what I needed to read this morning. The calf-ination, the espresso, depresso, brew-tiful puns that you included. and the question hanging at the end that just sends my whole being into chuckle mode with people popping up out of bed like pieces of toast (mine land flat on the counter when they jump out, and that strikes me as the type of pop-upper I’d be – – a face planter). Tree sperm of April, bwahahahaha! And then – – -the photo. It’s absolutely spectacular, and I can’t think of anything better to put a smile in my heart on this Sunday of traveling down a boring interstate and stopping for Zaxby’s chicken fingers than a photo of you that has not won an award yet. I’m awarding it now! Consider yourself a winner, Crandall. You remind me of my brother hiding behind his cereal box because no one could talk to him in the mornings – – he had those same cutting eyes, pursed mouth, and wild hair. 🙂
Brian, your word play in this poem is an absolute delight. The Squidward metaphor has me laughing aloud. Thanks for the laugh!
Bryan, I really enjoyed this! “[T]here’s been a latte on my mind lately” is my favorite pun of the bunch or maybe the “calf-inated” bit or the “sleep in toasters” because we “pop out of bed” lines. Truthfully, I smiled throughout! (And I also enjoyed the video documentary of all your different Covid hairdos)!
This prompt inspired an extra cup or two of coffee this morning! Thank you.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you how nervous
I am sharing my writing
with you.
That I haven’t felt this exposed
since I was an undergrad.
(Between you and me – I was far
more confident way back then.)
Yet I want you to read,
I want you to see me
even if only for a moment.
If we were having coffee,
I’d tell you about my love of 90s grunge
bad horror flicks
hoodies
and those weird little Funko Pops.
And yes, if we were having coffee, I’d want
to discuss poetry.
But please, tell me about your interests.
What poets really
turn you on?
What’s your writing process like?
Where do you draw inspiration?
Tell me your secrets; your passions.
Expose the mysteries of verse to me.
I am but a humble student, and you,
you are so much more.
I admire your words, your artistry,
and above all else,
I admire
your
bravery.
Care for another cup/glass/round?
This one is on me.
If we were having coffee, my friend,
I would just be happy to be in your
orbit. We could sit in silence, only the
company of each other to propel
the morning forward. A formless
communication simmering between us.
Social introvert. That’s how it was
described to me. I’m not a shy boy,
but I have such a hard time being
the one to say hello. Rejection
is cruel, and I still haven’t learned
how to cope with that monster. But
you’re here. You accept me. Despite my
flaws, you read on. And now you’ve
made it to the end.
I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
And I can’t tell you how much your words meant to me. Thank you so much for sharing. Mostly I find writing is easier than talking to express what really matters. We all have flaws friend. And I was sad when the poem ended. I wanted even more. Wish we were having another cup.
James, there exists a resistance to posting a poem, almost as a means of self-preservation. It feels risky. And worrisome. And exposed (your word is best). I feel it every time. Despite the generosity of the writers here. And we make it to the end. Every time. And it does mean so much. Thank you for sharing yourself and your honesty. Thank you for being here too.
I want you to see me
even if only for a moment.
Here is why we are here …. your poem shows vulnerability, as good poems often do.
Kevin
Your honesty makes your poem so powerful. I have not posted yet, thinking my words will come out all twisted and raw, but you’ve inspired me to sit down, write, and take a chance. Thank you!
Good Morning, James!
What a great poem! Your description of being an “exposed” undergrad took me back to my first creative writing class, at 7:00 AM. That’s when I learned to NEVER register for a 7 AM class again, and I was not creating anything at that hour. Period. How ironic that I have been teaching at 7 AM for over 20 years…
Can’t wait to read more of your work this month!
James, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the photo of you with your coffee and your poem today! I like the way you are so honest about confidence and feeling that rejection is cruel so you have a reluctance to be the first to reach out. Welcome to a place where (you are so right) we share flaws and wounds and weaknesses. I, too, would discuss poetry and the favorite poets and poems, and I would tell you that Overheard on a Salt Marsh by Harold Monro was a poem that still holds tightly to me. And now, I have a VerseLove group full of new favorite poets I also call friends. You’re one of them. Welcome!
If we were having coffee,
I’d probably ask you a question
and then another follow-up or two.
I’d want to listen to your life
watch your eyes remember.
If we were having coffee,
I’d want to tell you a miracle: that
there is a place where people
write poetry without strings—
exhaustion, breaks, religion, trees,
playgrounds, shoes, gulls, nests,
bagels, doorbells, tulips, depression
cats, worry, parents, dragons.
If we were having coffee,
I’d thank you for your generosity
of j’s and f’s and tabs and enters,
of care to resist autocap,
of precise phrase-lift
to honor the poet,
to witness a life.
And when my cup empties,
I’d stand abruptly, eager to go.
I’d say, A poem is stirring.
And you might say, I understand, but
a refill is half price here. Let’s stay
a while longer and write that poem
together.
The line “watch your eyes remember” is so mesmerizing and beautiful, I had to read it 5 or 6 times before I actually finished the rest of the poem. And now I’m getting lost in those words again. I find so much inspiration pouring out of that one line…thank you for sharing these words this morning.
Sarah, I was nodding along and along until suddenly I had tears. A poem is a stirring indeed (this needs to be the next book). And the acknowledgement you bring to the little notices (the autocap resistance and phrase-lifts) as a way to honor the poet is a beautiful thing. It makes this space beautiful. And all that develops within it. It is one part of what is so beautiful about you.
Writing poetry without strings…thank you for the line and the gift.
Oh my gosh – this is so creative – it goes from the process to the imagination. Love – And when my cup empties, I’d stand abruptly, eager to go… It shows the tension and energy of writing and then the invitation to stay a while longer and be together with the poem. Just wonderful.
Hello Sarah!
This “miracle” is all your fault! I never really understood what it meant to have a poem “stirring” until I stumbled upon your amazing community! Thank you! I can’t wait to write more poems together!
Sarah, watching eyes remember is so fascinating! I love how you have drawn us all in together, not only in this poem, but in this space. It’s a powerful place of regenerating the spirit and calming the soul. Thank you for your always gentle words and your generosity in giving of your heart and your time so that we can write together.
Sarah, the sequence of your poem is exquisite. I absolutely love the idea of the half pricee reveal and writing the poem together. I was especially moved by “to honor the poet,/to witness a life”. Perfect!
I just love everything about your poem! I especially love the ending. So many times we don’t want our visits to end because there’s comfort and warmth and belonging. When you give reasoning for the visit to continue, “…a refill is half price here/Let’s stay…and write that poem together,” it reminds me of our need for that friend who will always be by our side. Whether that friend is human, animal, or an inanimate object (computer, typewriter, cup of coffee, etc.), it’s who/what we need in that moment to be complete, feel like we belong, or maybe to simply find the right words.
I love
What a great quick write prompt. I wish we could have coffee together today. Your poem reveals your gentle caring personality perfectly.
Church Alley Cafe
If we were having coffee,
I would share my grief with you,
how it’s not so overwhelming anymore,
how I’m making it through
and then I’d turn to you
to hear about yours.
Mary Oliver wrote in Wild Geese: “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.”
Right to the HEART of the matter – having coffee = listening + sharing! Thank you!
Margaret,
Listening to one another’s grief helps the healing process, but it requires a ton of trust. I love “Wild Geese.” It’s one of my favorite poems to teach.
Mmmm yes, nothing better than a heart-to-heart like the one you’ve described. Listening. I love how simple your poem is, yet it says so much. I think we all have grief, of sorts, but especially when we get to unload it to someone else, it feels “not so overwhelming anymore.” Thank you!
Margaret, I love how you have taken an Oliver line and illuminated it with your own experience. This is so true of writers – we share our grief, we share our joys. It’s the way we connect and deepen our bonds. Thank you so much for writing today. I’m glad your grief is beginning to wane somewhat – – and then there are tsunami days out of nowhere, with no explanation. Some days that has just happened to me, profound sadness out of the normal drive or getting dressed for work. I hope that the brighter days ahead hold those sidewinder days far out of the way!
Kim— what a delightful beginning to our day!! I had already poured my fist cup as I opened the email, and there you were! I feel like you were sitting here with me. I raise my mug in return!
If we are having coffee
There will be laughter
and probably a few tears.
We’ll take turns sharing
as I confess my oh-so-many errors
(The best mistakes
make the best stories—
Success is just success.)
and you paint in the background
of you.
I “grew up coffee”
in a Swedish household—
I will tell you about three-year-old me
dunking scorpers in milk-and-sugar coffee
in Grandpa’s sunny Sunday-morning kitchen.
I will talk about sixty years of sharing my life
over cups of coffee with my sister-cousin
(the one I lost to cancer last year)
I still pick up the phone to call her
when I pour my morning mug.
I’m sure I will tell you about her.
Coffee brings her back to me.
You will tell me how you got to who you are
in your life
and I will reach across the table
to touch your hand at the sad bits,
dab at my tears for your sorrow.
Then, to take away the sadness,
we will move to lighter, brighter things—
the joys of our todays
and hopes for our tomorrows.
We will look at our watches
and be amazed
that so much time
has passed so quickly.
Coffee is magic.
Gayle Sands
4/2/2023
Gayle, so many great thoughts here today – – mistakes make the best stories, growing up coffee in a Swedish household, relatives brought back by coffee, and taking away sadness to move into hopes for tomorrow. I agree – – coffee IS indeed magic, the kind that brings us closer together because we must sit, sip, and savor – – not gulp and go. Coffee begs time of ourselves and others. Thank you for writing today, and I had no idea you grew up coffee in a Swedish home!
Gayle, I loved your lines: “ (The best mistakes
make the best stories—
Success is just success.).
Your poem holds so much truth, and I can feel that special coffee time with a special friend.
Gayle, I love all the story interwoven here, and this magnificent observation:
(The best mistakes
make the best stories—
Success is just success.)
-that is SO true!
Thank you Kim for today’s prompt!
Writing Partners
If we were having coffee…
I’d mention
how strange it is we have been friends for years,
how funny we met by responding to a social media post,
how lovely it is to see you, really see you.
I’d use phrases like
To be honest…
I’ll admit…
I know you’d understand…
To describe things like…
My daily word count
My reading commitments
How life changes
If we were having coffee I’d mention a poem I wrote using phrases like friendship, honesty and commitment to describe how grateful I am for you.
I love the last line of your poem. It’s the perfect punctuation for your text. Gratitude is such a wonderful thing to give and to receive – I try to let my small circle of pals know how much they mean to me every chance I get. Thank you for sharing your work.
Brittany, we are so blessed to have found each other and to really see one another. Really. Your poem captures what is unique about writing spaces and found friends and what happens when the two come together. These are the life changes that make life both meaningful and beautiful.
Brittany, I’m so grateful for the writers here – those I know well and those I’m just getting to know. Thank you so much for writing with us today and for the truthfulness of those phrases – to be honest, I’ll admit, I know you’d understand – – those are the words of writers and friends as we strengthen our relationships and write together! If we were having coffee, I’d admit that my life has changed drastically for the better because of this group!
Kim, I often feel as if we are doing just this: sitting in a small corner of the world sipping coffee, finding ourselves so magically mirrored. This is the power of writing, of sharing writing, of understanding how story ties us together by our heartstrings. Your bright, energetic, celebratory poem is testimony to it all. Writing – like coffee! – is full of transformative and healing power…this is the path where you sent my mind a-wandering this morning. Coffee, poetry, the lyricism of life, shared heartsong…it occurs to me, as I write to the sound of a dove cooing just outside my window, that one of the many symbolic meanings of coffee is peace. You so often impart this. Thank you for this lovely invitation, friend-
If we were having coffee
I might ask you
when you first fell in love with it
and tell you that I was eighteen
working a summer job at restaurant
with a wrenching headache
when bartender brewed a pot
and handed me a cup of pure glory
that healed me
If we were having coffee
I might ask about places you’ve lived
which ones you loved best
which were hardest
and would probably tell you that
the first house I remember living in
was an Army hospital morgue
If we were having coffee
we would surely speak of family
we’d stroll and scroll pictures
of the children, the grandchildren
maybe even ourselves as children
framed forever with people we loved
even though they’ve gone
before us
(because the love
lives on)
If we were having coffee
I know I would ask about things
that bring you joy
you’d already know
from the pictures
that mine are little granddaughters
plus dogs and birds and beaches and stars
maybe even Hey Dudes shoes
with a bit of sparkle
and if you didn’t know
by now
I’d say writing
and the gift of faith
shining through
the mosaic stained-glass windows
of my life
If we were having coffee
I might wonder about your story
for there are those we write
and those we do not
it’s okay, either way
I would not ask but would offer you
my listening heart
as we sip
our overcoming
(formatting went weird, alas)
Fran, I love your last stanza so much. “As we sip our overcoming” – had to read that a few times. So powerful. I love “I might wonder about your story / for there are those we write / and those we do not” also because I definitely wonder about the stories not told in many conversations. Thank you.
Fran, truly words of peace and reaching out this morning in your words of acceptance. That last stanza is simply heartfelt
I might wonder about your story
for there are those we write
and those we do not
it’s okay, either way
I would not ask but would offer you
my listening heart
as we sip
our overcoming
yes, I feel there are stories we share with others and stories we keep only to ourselves, and I often saw this in students whose real stories I knew (at least a few). This reminds me of the writing we did in last month’s Open Write where we wondered a little about others and their stories. Thank you for always opening your heart and writing others into your own story!
If we were having coffee
I know I would ask about things
that bring you joy
Love these lines, which seemed a center to your poem to my ears
Kevin
The last stanza is magic.”as we sip our overcoming”…isn’t that what it’s all about?
Love the intimacy you create. And especially love your ending:
I would not ask but would offer you
my listening heart
as we sip
our overcoming
So comforting, kind, and real. Thank you!
Kim, good morning! I love your prompt and your prompt, and I think that if I knew you, we would be having coffee often! My first days of spring break see me and my youngest visiting my older daughter at college for a brief weekend of fun…so here I am in one of my favorite places.
Nothing makes my heart go boom
like being in a hotel room.
One favorite thing has got to be
the coffee maker – cuz, you see,
it’s like I’m queen, and my dominion.
is this room. In my opinion,
there are drawbacks, too, I’ll say:
The coffee is…not good. No way.
The creamer pack, a little brick
You have to smack it ‘cuz it sticks
together in its little packet…
snug inside its paper jacket.
The sugar – there is not enough
to mask the taste of awful stuff
that percolates and waits for me
to drink it down – but still, you see:
I never miss a single chance
to engage in this ritual dance.
Hotel rooms fill me with awe…
And bring me back to being small:
My first hotel room in Orlando
And, then, this makes me understand. Oh,
wonder, wanderlust inspired:
Of hotel rooms I never tire.
So, here’s to awful hotel coffee:
“May it never lose its gloss!” she
cries as she lifts paper cup –
And here’s to travel! Friends, drink up.
Wendy – your poem is an absolute delight to read, with its rollicking rhythm and rhyme! The content, too – just fabulous fun. I can feel the joy, even if the coffee is awful and you have to smack the packet of creamer… that is THE TRUTH. Just priceless!
“Awful hotel coffee” haha, I feel that. Love your rhyme in this poem, Wendy.
I hate hotel coffee, but I LOVE your ode to it! I bounced along with you, smacked that darned creamer packet, and smiled at your reasons for loving the awful brew!
This is the kind of poem that all of us coffee drinkers can relate to. I am also delighted by having that first cup of coffee in a hotel room. But, my goodness…that is some bad coffee. Yet, I “engage in this ritual dance” all the same (and then head out in search for a better, more satisfying brew). I adore how relatable your words are, and the joy that so clearly went into crafting them.
Ha … what a great poem with wonderful voice …
Awesome prompt, Kim! I prefer writing over talking as well. It’s awesome that you are so close to some of these writers.
If we were having coffee,
at a coffee shop
I’m not familiar with,
although I have places
I would recommend
in places I know,
I’d probably tell you I googled
to see if the ratings
were good because I’m picky
about my coffee.
And do I have stories…
Hotel coffee sucks
especially overseas.
My significant other and I
bought a coffee pot in Turkey
because we are frugal and like what we like,
bought a French press in Sri Lanka,
got tired of buying $10 small bags
of Starbucks in Kuwait
so we tried maybe
ten different other brands
to like something cheaper
until we finally stumbled upon good ol’
IKEA coffee.
Of course it’s legit
and half the price for twice the size 🙌🏼
The plan is to put a bunch of blocks
in our shipping in case we don’t like
the coffee in Mauritius –
that’s where we are teaching next 🇲🇺🏝
Then I’d tell you how lately
I drink coffee only two days a week,
the other days I’ve switched to
hibiscus tea because of cholesterol
and blood pressure issues.
Screw getting older.
That’s enough about my life and coffee.
How about my life and poetry?
I tell my students my poetry journey
through a poem I wrote about it
and how in pandemic April of 2020
I decided to write a poem a day
and it changed my life in some way.
I show them my poems in
Bridge the Distance
Teacher-Poets Writing to
Bridge the Distance:
An Oral History of COVID-19
in Poems
They are impressed.
Some say I was depressed.
I ask: “just because I cried that means I was depressed?”
Some say yes.
And I laugh.
I wasn’t depressed.
Later in the day, I wonder.
I’ll tell you about how I show some of them poems shared during
Verselove and Open Write,
my favorite being Jenny Syke’s golden shovel
based on Tupac’s “The Rose That Grew From Concrete”
Thanks, Jenny ❤️
I just started my poetry unit last week
with my 8th graders,
let’s be honest, some are haters,
but I still feel it’s my mission
to open their minds
change their perspective
even just a little.
Some are psyched
and already got deep
with their first poem.
They appreciate my love and passion so much;
they have their own,
and some are already better than me.
This is why I do what I do.
Two units ago, one girl added a poem at the beginning of her speech about mental health
and her spoken word skills
gave me goosebumps.
She’s been waiting,
I’ve been waiting.
Thank you all for
helping me inspire, share,
educate, shape, grow, nurture
not just others
but myself as well.
Cheers! 🥂📝
Angie, these lines:
Some say I was depressed./I ask: “just because I cried that means I was depressed?”/Some say yes./And I laugh./I wasn’t depressed./Later in the day, I wonder.”
So much truth in them. Poetry creates an audible reaction in students. It’s like they’ve been in a bad relationship with it. I love changing minds, though not all succumb fully. (Jenny Sykes is my teaching partner! I’ll have to let her know you’ve recognized her.)
Angie, so much to love in this poem, starting with hotel coffee sucks and googling the ratings of the local coffee shops and weaving from the picky coffee lovers grinds right down into the brewing of the writing and how it shapes us, even with the hope of helping a hater rethink a position to bridge distance – to understand something in a new way. Poetry does that. I just read my poem Paint Chips from BTD for a celebration of National Poetry Month, and I savored the moments of turning the pages and rereading. I agree with you – I don’t think we were all depressed because we cried. I think we were mourning the loss of our normal and transitioning into a new era of uncertainty when the rug came out from under our feet and forced the change. Love your words this morning!
Angie, I love the segue from coffee (the good, the bad, the horrendous) to poetry-writing and its transformative power. It’s all about finding voice. And release. And something beautiful deep within that wants to push its way through hardship. Your verse blooms.
Angie, I loved the flow of this, the way it carried me along in your memories. There were so many moments that made me smile with sympathy and recognition. Bravo!
Angie,
While I was reading your poem, I felt like I was sitting across from you having coffee in the cutest little cafe’. I just love your honesty throughout with the little things, the silly nuances, and the more personal. When you reflect on poetry and the impact it has had on you, I can completely relate.
The following lines were especially powerful:
“Some say I was depressed.
I ask: “just because I cried that means I was depressed?”
Some say yes.
And I laugh.
I wasn’t depressed.
Later in the day, I wonder”
Wow! I can relate to these lines so much. I often have these same wonderings.
Lastly, I’m honored that you mentioned my writing in your poem. To know that my words have had an impact on another is truly touching. Thanks for filling my cup today. Cheers!
Kim, what a delightful way to spend time together today. Your sweet, sweet personality shines through your poem today. I’m so glad to have gotten to know you here. As soon as I’m up and about, I’m going to find my own Child’s Garden of Verses, which I must have been gifted in one of those same years.
if we were having coffee
you would not notice me
blended against the backdrop
of chatter and anecdotes
my story fades behind the scrim
of laughter and punchlines
there are larger stories to be told
brighter lights to flicker toward
but a story told for one
often finds another
a two
and they become the best of pals
sitting quietly
sipping words softly
a murmur in the murmuration
if we were having coffee
sipping words softly
Yes, let’s
Jennifer, I enjoy reading your poetry even more now that I can see the face and hear the voice of the poet. I think there is a whole new dimension to reading the poetry of poets who have become friends, because now I addition to all the styles and visual cues and nuances of language I can hear as I read, there is so much more when you’re reading a poem about time together, sipping words softly (genius)! with a writer and friend whose childhood also included A Child’s Garden of Verses. I love that your theme of the shared story is what unifies friends – and this is exactly where we shall find world peace and soul peace – in a coffee cup over shared story that fosters understanding and love for others. Love it!
I relate to your poem so much, Jennifer. I’m sure this has happened before. “Blended against the backdrop” yes, definitely. That’s what happens to me sometimes.
Jennifer, I often wonder about the larger stories not always seen in the snippets…yet, as you allude here, the connective power of story is profound. It will find a way. It is meant to. My very favorite line of your poem is “a murmur in the murmuration” – for the alliteration, of course, but more for the intimate and individual sound as a flock takes flight, turning in sync as a whole. This is what we do, we poets, here. Your verse tugs at my heart.
Jennifer,
My favorite lines:
“but a story told for one
often finds another
a two
and they become the best of pals
sitting quietly
sipping words softly
a murmur in the murmuration
if we were having coffee”
Love “murmuration” — one of my favorite words! And I so relate to this, as an introvert who prefers the company of one instead of a party of many. This was a lovely image and a lovely poem. 🙂
There is something so serene about your writing. Your words invite the imagination to take over, so I was able to fully imagine a scene – the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the sights… all of it. It was so easy to just get lost in your poem!
Jennifer, What a great opening: “If we were having coffee you would not notice me.” Makes me think of how much I enjoy not being noticed in a crowded coffee shop. Even with a friend. Which seems so ironic. I love your ending lines, as well: “sipping words softly” and “a murmur in the murmuration.” Well done!
Jennifer,
Tnis line says so much about community and how we get to know one another: “a story told for one
often finds another”
Jennifer, I wanted to copy/paste the whole poem! Rich images and also a quiet tender moment between pals, the best of the best here! Something about “a story told for one often finds another” reminds me that some of the quietest and most reserved people will find someone with whom to share their story. I love this.
Jennifer,
What a beautiful poem. I’m so blessed to share my coffee/tea as you sip on your frozen coke lots, and the images you’ve created here are familiar to me.
I especially love the lines “but a story told for one/often finds another/ a two…”. This just resonates with me so much as we often piggyback off of each other. One story finds another. I also love your use of alliteration throughout and it creates a beautiful fluidity like the coffee we are sharing.
Good Morning, Kim! What a perfect welcome for all friends. I love this. It is your voice, your kindness, and your open heart to others. Thanks for the inspiration. I’m off to perk some half-caff and play in my notebook. Cheers!
How many mornings
have I sat here,
paused with purpose,
wondering where
a poem might come?
Both dogs napping
just a few feet away,
light snoozing after
a wander through night’s
slow fade
Kitchen machinery hums,
its engines a soundtrack
to otherwise silence,
the clock tick reminding me:
time’s running on
My coffee settles in a mug,
fuel for a jungle of ideas,
the edge of an inkling touching
on lips and tongue
My mind, spinning words,
and then, from nothing
comes the something:
the writing of this piece
has just begun …
Kevin
Kevin, the miracle of a poem forming in the morning! I appreciate that your music finds a way into so many of your pieces, the soundtrack of your life.
Fuel for a jungle of ideas – that metaphor for coffee is such an awakening thought. Full of promise for writers waking on a Sunday, ready to put the pen to paper or fingers to keys. I love the word inkling that you used here so creatively, like a seed of an idea ready to sprout like a seedling and grow – and it feeds back into the jungle of vines of thought. What brand of coffee? I want some of that kind.
Digital Version with Lumen5:
Oh wow, awesome recording 🙂
Nice!! Now I want to play with Lumen5…or have my Creative Writing students!
Lumen5 is so easy to use and so powerful, and the free version has plenty to play with ….
Kevin
Wow! I love being able to hear your voice! You poem, already a delight, sparkles in a new way. Thanks for sharing :).
Thank you, Shelly (and all) — voice is a powerful layer, isn’t it?
Kevin
Hello Kevin!
Now I want to play with Lumen5! Thanks for sharing. I love the sensory images of the kitchen sounds, and the emergence of the poem – accompanied with beautiful piano music. Great idea!
I am in total awe and love! Your written piece soothed my soul and then I listened and fell even deeper into a peaceful space. You should share recordings of every poem you write this month. I love it! I don’t know about Lumen5 but you’ve sparked my interest!
Thank you for this beautiful gift!
I love “wondering where a poem might come” and the bookend of “and then, from nothing comes the something”. Thanks for sharing some words about your process, Kevin.
This is my favorite part of your poem, Kevin, and of all writing: And then, from nothing, comes the something…
Kevin, I loved the “meta-ness” of this. 🙂
Also found great pleasure in the sounds of these lines:
“light snoozing after
a wander through night’s
slow fade”
“Kitchen machinery hums,
its engines a soundtrack
to otherwise silence,”
“the edge of an inkling touching
on lips and tongue”
Beautiful, mellifluous sounds in here that do, indeed, set a soundtrack to this picture.
Thank you, Wendy, for reading so closely and carefully.
Kevin