The coffee that I make

I only like the coffee I make,

a spoon of coffee, a spoon of sugar and a splash of milk.

No more, no less and no one else's.

It’s a habit I wake up to,

and soothe headaches with.

On days when time could not go any slower,

I measure the hours with the coffee cups littered around my room.

My favourite cup has a red handle,

It’s tall and keeps the heat in the longest.

On days when time goes so fast that it slips through my fingers,

I measure the seconds on my microwave heating up my forgotten coffee.

Some days are decaf days, and some days are just not coffee days.

Most days are, “I feel like a warm drink” days,

especially on cold days.

I only like the coffee I make,

and that hasn’t changed so far.

But it may change, as most things may

on a day that feels not too fast or slow

under the shade in the sun

a coffee that feels like home,

even if it isn’t mine.

Prashamsa Manchiraju