“colored cups” photo by Bruce Glick (taken at The Cup Cafe; Houlton, Maine)
colored cups
the clatter of china plates, silverware,
and the clink of ice cubes in glasses
embellish the casual ambiance of life at a cafe;
conversations, newspapers, and the ideas of the day,
a laptop and a cappuccino,
the privacy of reflection and induced visions,
the rumors of caffeine in the air.
as I sit at my table I can view the espresso machine
eloquent on its end of the counter;
shining stainless steel,
finest Italian technology,
135 pounds of pressurized water
forced through 16 grams of finely ground coffee in 20 seconds,
invention of human brilliance.
the bright colored cups sitting on top of the machine
contain the possibility of countless enjoyments,
the shiny steel reflecting the infinite
the infinite expressed as this... espresso in demitasse
the chirping sound of hot steam texturing milk.
