Chocolate and Coffee

Chocolate and coffee
are always necessary items,
but in times of stress
when sheltering in place
or under lock down
they are essential foods
for remaining sane.

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Coffeee Poem

Steam rises from the ebony surface
warming my hands and face.

Hot liquid descends my throat
Heating my cold body from within.

Soon the central air will come on
warming the ho use,
but for now only the hot Colombian blend
comes between me and glaciation.


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Coffee

Coffee--
Strong
Hot
Black--
awakens mind and body
with its taste
and aroma:
A good start to the day.


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Cats

In the morning
they are like rick black coffee
each sip a hot claw in your bare hands.

I also posted this in the journal, Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Wake Up

I wake
before dawn pours
cream into the black coffee of night.

I rise
before mourning doves
lament the passing wind.

 

I also posted this in the journal, Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com 

 

 

Hazelnut Gourmet Coffee: A Memory

The aroma of the deep forest awakens nature's child,
rousing the ecologist hibernating
under layers of materialism.

The taste of autumn's bounty caresses my tongue,
flows down my throat,
warming each passing blood vessel,
and spills into my body's furnace
to ignite the day's activity.

I, also, posted this in the journal Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items, in my writing.com portfolio. Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com

Coffee Meditation

Coffee hot and black
The fragrance of dawn’s light
Wakes body and mind.

 I, also, posted this in the journal Writing in Snow, under the folder Awardicon Items,  in my writing.com port. I am Prosperous Snow Globe during December.

Random Thoughts on Poetry

Chocolate fibers;
stanzas of white light;
cantos of dark radiance
rejuvenate
the heart's yearning
for poetic metaphors.

Coffee poured
into mugs of morning laughter,
into cups
of noonday desires,
into memories
of poetic similes.

This poem is also posted in the journal Writing in Snow in my writing.com port under the folder Awardicon Items.

Thankful Thursday: May 4, 2017

Istijlál (Majesty), 8 Jamál (Beauty) 174 BE - Thursday, May 4, 2017 CE about 12:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time

Today I am thankful...

01. ...that when I dropped my false teeth in the sink yesterday they didn't break;

02. ...for fresh brewed Folgers black silk coffee;

03. ...that we have a car to drive this week;

04. ...for Arizona Real Brewed Sweet tea;

05. ...that I received an increase on my SNAP allotment;

06. ...for the prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah because they refresh my soul;

07. ...that I have three entries in my journal celebrating the Bicentenary of Baha'u'llah's birth.

08. ...for Hershey's Milk Chocolate King Size candy bar;

09. ...that I am a member of writing.com'

10. ...for the Baha'i prayer app I was able to download to my smartphone.

Motivational Monday: Coffee and Motivation

Motivational Monday: Coffee and Motivation 

Kamál (Perfection), 1 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Monday, February 6, 2017 AD about 8:40 AM Pacific Standard Time 

It’s Monday morning and time to get motivated for the rest of the week. I've had two cups of coffee so that should motivate me this morning. I've updated my status on Facebook a couple of times and made entries in two writing.com journals. Those entries responded to three blog prompts. I also reviewed the prologue to a novel.  

Coffee motivates 

Wakes up my mind and body 

Curiosity aroused 

For breakfast I had a banana and chocolate covered doughnut. I know that isn't the best breakfast in the world, but that's what I had this morning and I'm not going to regret it. I have a lot to do today and for the rest of the week. I have to call my doctor about 9:00 AM to request the renewal of a prescription. I also have some surveys to do and a poem or story to write. I started the poem last night. I finished the first stanza and then got stuck on the second. Maybe I need more coffee or a short walk. 

2016 in Review

Istiqlál (Independence), 19, Masá’il (Questions), 173 BE - Friday, December 30, 2016 AD about 6:29 AM Pacific Standard Time 

It's been a good year 

And it's been a bad year 

Through all the stress and mess 

The coffee has remained hot and strong 

While the chocolate has remained dark and sweet 

 There are a lot of things about 2016 that have pissed me off, but since there's not much I can do about that now I have to move into the future with a smile on my face and a cup of strong hot coffee in my hand. Two things that have put a smile on my face is hot coffee and dark chocolate, as long as I have those two along with a prayer book then I can face the weird events that will occur in the coming year. 

In Praise of Coffee

Fiḍál (Grace), 15 Qawl (Speech), 173 BE - Tuesday, December 6, 2016 AD about 13:36 PM Pacific Standard Time 

There is nothing like a strong black cup of coffee to get the day off to a good start. This morning, as usual, I brewed a fresh carafe of Folgers black silk coffee because this is my favorite brand and blend. I have coffee every morning, but I don't always have pre-ground coffee. Sometimes, on special occasions, I purchase coffee beans and grind my own coffee. It's been a long time since I purchased coffee beans, so I think I need to purchase a small bag. I love the smell of fresh ground coffee as much as I love the aroma of it brewing. 

I learned to drink coffee from Grandpa Frank, my mother's father. Every morning he would make a fresh pot of coffee before he went to work. He would drink a cup and then fill his thermos bottle before packing his lunch to go to work. On Saturday and Sunday, his days off, he would continue to brew coffee all day long. Grandpa used a percolator instead of a coffee maker. 

After Two Cups of Coffee and Breakfast Pastries

Jamál (Beauty), 12 ‘Izzat (Might), 173 BE - Sunday, September 18, 2016 AD about 10:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time 

After two mugs of coffee, 

A couple of three prayers, 

And breakfast pastries 

I'm feeling more positives. 

It's been a quiet morning. All the neighborhood are doing their own thing without making distracting noises. The only thing I hear right now is someone with a shovel or something either digging or pushing the shovel across the sidewalk. I'm no all the interested in what they are doing or why. After all this is broad daylight and I don't hear any sirens so whatever they are doing has to be either legal or uninteresting.  

I've managed to overcome the depression I was dealing with earlier. It took me several prayers, two mugs of coffee, one breakfast pastry, and two Girl Scout cookies to drive out the darkness. I'm smiling. I still need to laugh this morning, but I think a session on Facebook will take care of that. I can always depend on one of my friends or family to post something humorous and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.  I've finished almost everything I have to do online, so I can go to today's spiritual services at the Baha'I Center. I still have some stuff I have to do after I return home, but that is quick and easy (I hope) to finish.    

Morning Rituals

Istijlal (Majesty), 9 Jamál (Beauty), 173 BE - Thursday, May 5, 2016 about 5:44 AM Pacific Daylight T ime 

Morning always seems to come so early. It wakes up slow and stretching wondering what the day will bring. Each morning brings specific rituals that help the morning and myself wake up to face  the unknown possibilities of the day. Some morning rituals are about the same for everyone, so there is no need to go into those. Other rituals are different for each person waking up. 

My morning rituals consist of taking my thyroid medication before I even get out of bed, or in my case up off the recliner. I recite the morning prayer by heart, turn on the light, put on the coffee, and change from my nightclothes into my day clothes. Sometimes I change into my day clothes before I turn on the light or begin brewing the coffee. 

Morning rituals are comforting and give some stability to the day.  Stability is necessary to keep a person on track and moving forward undepressed. However, I think one should change the ritual are periodically and shake things up. That's why I waited until after I begin this entry to go into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. Usually I get my coffee before I begin composing poetry or blog entries.  

On my way back to the computer from the kitchen, I stopped to look out my front window. I wanted to see what the neighbor's dog was barking at. I still don't know why she was barking this early in the morning because she usually doesn't back at anything until later in the morning. There was one car parked across the street this morning. 

Most of the neighbors move their cars into the alleys behind the apartment buildings on Thursday because this is the day the street sweeper is supposed to clean Sunrise Avenue. We have to move the cars in back of the buildings because they give tickets to those cars still parked in front when the street cleaner drives past. I can tell you from experience that a parking ticket for that is $20.00. 

Sunday Morning in Las Vegas

Jamal (Beauty), 2 Masá’il (Questions), 172 BE - Sunday, December 13, 2015 about 5:54 AM Pacific Standard Time

It's a cold Sunday morning in Las Vegas. The temperature if 40 degrees with a wind chill of 40 and snow on Mount Charleston. I put on a sweater this morning because it felt cold. When I woke up about 4:00 AM it was 39 degrees with a wind chill of 35. We are experiencing a severe weather alert which consist of a wind advisory. I haven't looked outside to see if the wind is blowing. I know it was blowing last night when I went to bed. However, it wasn't blowing when I got up this morning. Even if I don't look outside, I always know when the wind is blowing because I can hear it pushing litter down the street or causing some other weird noise.

Cold Sunday morning
I sip hot coffee and write
My muse warming up

 

Happy Monday, Busy Monday

Kamal (Perfection), 1 Qawl (Speech), 172 BE - Monday, November 23, 2015 about 6:31 AM Pacific Standard Time

My morning begin with a cup of cold coffee. When I went into the kitchen to make the coffee this morning, I found leftover coffee in the coffee maker's glass carafe. I poured the coffee into my cup and drink it while I was making this morning's fresh coffee. I didn't want to throw the coffee out and I didn't want to heat it up in the microwave, so I drink it.

Today is going to be busy because I have to pick up my senior commodities for this month. I also have some writing projects to finish before Friday and Saturday. I also have an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday. I'm not planning to go any where special for the rest of the week. I'm not going to participate in Black Friday this year, but then I never participate in Black Friday. About the only thing I might do Friday is get gas and only then if I don't do it on Tuesday.

A Happy Monday
is always a busy day
take action to stave off depression.

I Am Eating Better

Fidal (Grace), 3 Mashíyyat (Will), 172 BE - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 9:20 am Pacific Daylight Time

I have one small victory to proclaim. I am eating better. Instead of having candy with my coffee each morning, I an eating grapes. When I finish the grapes then I will have to confront desire to go back to candy. The only thing I can do is take one step at a time and follow my exercise program.

At this point, my exercise program consists of lugging one or two small trash bags to the alley. I also park my car in the alley because it is a longer walk then it I parked in front. I am feeling better, but I don't know if I lost weight because I don't weigh myself at home. I have a bathroom scales, but I haven't been using it to check my weight. I guess I should do that to see if I'm loosing weight.

Coffee on Sunday Morning

Jamal (Beauty), 6 'Izzat (Might), 172 BE - Sunday, September 13, 2015 about 6:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time

An early rising
street lights scatter the darkness
in my neighborhood.

Morning coffee brewed
I open the window blinds
waiting for first light.

Pouring a hot cup
I take a sip and then walk
to the front door, open it.

I stand there watching
as street lights illuminate
Sunrise Avenue.

I say a prayer
giving thanks for the new day
a new week begins.

Sip by sip I watch
dawn illuminate the sky
turn charcoal clouds pink.

I watch a pigeon
fly from tree to roof and then
land in front of me.

A Two Carafe Coffee Day

Kamal (Perfection), 19 Asmá’ (Names), 172 BE - Monday, September 7, 2015 about 3:26 pm Pacific Daylight Time

Labor Day
is a two carafe coffee day
the only thing I want to do
is write.

I go to the kitchen,
pour myself another cup of coffee
and then stand at the window
looking out into the street.

I watch children
riding their bicycles
past my window,
I smile
because they are using the sidewalk
rather the riding
them in the street,

It isn't safe
to ride bicycles
in the street
because drivers speed
the wrong
without considerations
for pedestrians
or bicycling children.

Spiritual Sunday: Meditation, Prayer, Writing, Reviewing, and Coffee

Jamal (Beauty), 16 Kamál (Perfection), 172 BE - Sunday, August 16, 2015 about 8:44 am Pacific Daylight Time

This morning, I poured myself a cup of fresh brewed coffee and then I went to the front door. I opened the door, whispered a morning prayer, and then stood there sipping hot coffee while I watched the morning light of God's favor illuminate the street in front of my apartment. I watched a pigeon I watched a pigeon fly to the roof of the apartment building across the street. I took a deep breath of the cool morning air.

My Sunday morning prayer and meditation session over, I went to the computer to do a little writing and reviewing. This morning I responded to a blog prompt sent by one of the blog groups on writing.com. The next thing I did was to review a non-fiction essay and a poem by two new writing.com members. My next writing task was to compose and post this entry.

Before beginning to create this blog entry, I went to the kitchen to pour myself another cup of coffee. While in the kitchen I added some of yesterday's leftover coffee to the carafe containing today's fresh brewed coffee. I don't see any use in pouring yesterday's coffee down the sink when I could warm it over with today's coffee. Normally I don't have coffee left over from the day before, but yesterday was a weird day.

On Saturday, I went to get air put in my tires and then I went to the bank to deposit a check. My cellphone won't allow me to take a picture of a check and deposit it remotely. After depositing the check I went to the supermarket so that I could pay the power bill and purchase some needed items. About halfway through my shopping trip, I began feeling ill. I cut the trip short and came home. The only things I felt like doing when I got home was drink water and doze. I attempted to do a little writing, but I didn't do very much.

This morning, I'm feeling much better. I can finish the coffee today and eat something. I didn't eat much yesterday. I think my problem yesterday was the heat because I left the house a bit later then I normally would on hot days. Today I plan to stay home so that I can get some work accomplished inside my apartment.