Coffee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      line
      up
      ready
     
     
      to
      go
      rounds
      with
      the
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      greet
      each
      other
      with
      “Early
      enough
      for
      you?”
     
     
      The
      same
      greeting
      as
      always.
     
    

    
     
      Tired
      thoughts
      look
      out
      from
      behind
     
    

    
     
      tired
      eyes.
      Thoughts
      that
      are
      still
     
    

    
     
      cozy
      under
      the
      covers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      ask
      the
      cabby
      behind
      me
     
    

    
     
      to
      take
      me
      to
      work
      (in
      just
      one
      moment).
     
    

    
     
      I
      greet
      the
      server
      with
      “Early
      enough
      for
      you?”
     
     
      She
      laughs
      and
      gives
      me
      my
      coffee.
     
    

    
     
      I
      use
      that
      laugh
      later
      in
      round
      one.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      All
      the
      birds
      of
      the
      spring
      day
     
    

    
     
      get
      up
      and
      tell
      rosy
      fingered
      dawn;
     
    

    
     
      everything
      that
      happened
      last
      night.
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      the
      conversation
      the
      cabby
      listens
      to
     
     
      when
      he
      stares
      at
      the
      slick
      darkness
      of
      his
      drink.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —Jonathan
      Stewart
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [27]