An Eighth Shot of Espresso: Coffee and Creativity on Mum's Third Shift

If a genie  granted you  three wishes  you can change the world  but is it really  your power  or the djinn's?  Intention is only  half the story. The power to change and to create is inherent in all of us so speak loud A single spark can influence so many people inspire them to rise up to  do the impossible Trust in yourself.

Love withdrawn  the bank is empty  checking spent on necessities savings drained on emergencies stocks are worthless all the accounts have nothing but interest  no longer accrues  so that you  have nothing left  to spend  and nothing  more to save but he demands more thinking you have it all.

When you don't feel seen you learn to use  the shadows  to your advantage  You observe  what they do  you listen to  what they say  and act and plan  accordingly do they notice no, they don't do they care no, they don't being overlooked means no suspicion and no worry about your power that is how you act within their blind spot.

just a touch of salt  makes all  the difference  in a delicious dish  spices make it  exciting to the palate. New flavors bold combinations entice taste buds and make them  crave more. Any chef would welcome such patronage as their satisfied customers return for more.  So why do they  not use any  and keep their food bland?

I miss  the charming lilt in his voice the deft turn of phrase the soft accent that made his words unique   the one who is now in my life  only speaks in a monotone and in fancy terminology  as he explains  the obvious  to me again

A tattoo  with burning lines  that stand out  upon pale skin  newly inked still stings from the bite of the needle a trickle of blood where the points are not yet healed but no memory of when, where how and why an indiscretion not easily hidden a mark of a  spontaneous indulgence  that is quickly regretted.

I read books  because  I want to go  on adventures even though  physically  I cannot.  It doesn't matter that my hands are bad or my knees are not like they were when I was young. My mind is  unfettered  by those  who say  I can't. My world is not clouded by the  fog of harsh reality.

bouncy ball  a favorite toy  of Fido's  that sits  in the corner  a solitary beam of sunlight touch it in highest reverence twenty years  after his paws  touched it for  the first time  teeth marks  doggy drool tail wagged as he chased it to and fro spring days spent in the yard happy barks and an idyllic childhood it's been years and yet it stays  immortalized.

Throw a stone  into the river hear the splash as it sinks to the bottom as gravity pulls it down watch as  the ripples  spread out from the point of contact  and the waves  grow larger  the farther  they go  the perfect mirror shattered every reflection  marred by the touch. Do you recognize your twisted features in the aftermath?

cup of coffee  gone cold  forgotten  in the bustle  of life  and then  when it is  drunk  it sits bitter  in your mouth pastry half-eaten sits on a tiny plate crumbs  on the desk where the screen glows brightly and words refuse to flow.

What does  your fortune tell you?  Do you believe   in that sort of thing?  My Chinese grandmother  consults the Tao Te Ching  my best friend pulls out  her tarot cards  Do the stars  really shape  who you become? Is it all already written? Or do you struggle against the flow of time and defy the tide of a concrete fate?

whimsical humor  suppressed for years  I was too frivolous too loud and too obnoxious way too much for such a quiet and retiring personality there was too much to do bills to pay children to raise jobs to perform I learned not to laugh so loud or stand out in a crowd because that made him uncomfortable but now that more  than five decades have passed I've decided that  I am too old  to not enjoy life  and become  the person I was  meant to be

blood is life  and an obligation  when loyalty  is placed above reason  the family banner  unfurls over your existence  and casts a long shadow  an intangible sense of honor becomes all encompassing and a way to ensure power is in the correct hands when your fate is already written in the stars how do your actions make a difference? At least that's what they tell you. Only when the balance tips way too far and life becomes too intolerable do things change A righteous tradition  is not always a just one.

lambent light  from the glowing lantern  it lifts the shadows  lingering on the path  so late at night. look beyond the trees and do not laugh lest the ghosts beyond  who are lost to time  leave a lasting impression.

Too many books  too few shelves piled up on the floor on the living room table so many pages to read husband sighs  looks at the pile  of new books  on the nightstand  he jokes at how  orphaned tomes just leap into my hands  because they somehow know  I will give them a good home.

He regaled us with his tales  as the snow fell outside  the fire crackled in the hearth  as we all sat in utter delight  at the tales he spun to entertain us all. We waited with bated breath the heroes on their journey in fantastical lands of light and dark their struggle against good and bad we cheered at all their victories. A story with song and voice resonating off the walls and rafters a magical performance that is not easily forgotten and remembered fondly at every chilly night.

aperture where light  comes in  and translates  a vision  into reality a world opens up and mind experiences a different view but each encounter is a wholly unique way to see life enfold.