sweet coffee

a brief stop this is
just long enough to share
a cup of sweet coffee.
sitting together
we watch
as life around us
paints pictures held within our hearts.
the shade of this small tree
bathes us in its comfort.
light filters through leaves
which blow
warm kisses of the gentle wind.

a quiet cup of coffee
you say.
sipped slowly
savored in its sweetness
no bitterness left within
as
pain
joy
sadness
wonder
combine to strengthen it's bouquet.

a quiet sip of coffee
held between our lips
tasted fully,
completely.
robust blend of darkness and warmth
covering our senses
opening our souls to lessons that,
perhaps,
we have not known
until
we sit
reflected
in this liquid changing mirror of life.

quietly we finish
as the cup
now empty
reminds us that we are
just passing through.

our home not here
below this shaded tree
but rather beyond.

and so our steps continue.
we place the cup,
upon the broken ground

refreshed,
we pass into tomorrow
as today becomes a memory
held within our heart,
and sweet coffee fills our soul.

for Claranise

Sylvia D. Campbell, MD
September 26, 2003