Coffee Ritual
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Every six weeks, I order five pounds of coffee.
It arrives vacuum sealed.
I pierce the pouch and pour the beans into three airtight vessels.
The beans clink against the stainless steel.
The sound reminds me of the rainsticks my music teacher turned in elementary school.
The waterfall of beans clink-clinking.
When I push the lid down, the storage containers make a strange suction sound.
This means the air has left and the coffee is protected from time.
I keep the hopper full of beans.
That’s my job, the coffee.
Each morning, I press the button on the grinder, measure water, pour, froth, and brew.
The coffee is my project.
I have changed the way I do it over time.
I have maximized my efficiency and timing.
Always the same large cups, mine from Fretboard and his from Trailhead.
Always the same dance of the mugs, clinking the ceramic, the scalding first sip.
The coffee is a ritual of purpose, of togetherness.
Of starting a day, and taking on a responsibility for myself and another person.
Something I chose and continue to choose.
The coffee is a time capsule and also an eternal loop.
Talking over a cup of coffee at the hotel breakfast is how this all began.
On holidays we add Baileys and cream.
On some afternoons, I make a second pot.
The same ritual, only the sun has moved position.
We sit in the same spots on the couch.
Clink our mugs and talk about a day that has just begun or is well underway.
Want another cozy read with a cozy drink? Try more from our blog series!
- Positivity Corner: My Morning Tea Routine
- Mondays – a Micro-Essay
- Positivity Corner: My Matcha Routine
- Even Rainbows Have Problems – Flash Fiction
- Positivity Corner: Saturday Morning Cartoons and Breakfast in Bed
- For Sale – a Cozy Flash Fiction
- Positivity Corner: Morning Tea on the Patio
- Incredible – Creative Nonfiction About Cats
Rachel Turney
Rachel Turney, Ed.D. (she/her) is an educator and artist located in Denver. Her poems, research articles, drawings, and photography can be found in a variety of publications. Rachel is passionate about immigrant rights, teacher support, and empowering other artists. She is a Writers’ Hour prize winner and her photography can be found on a few magazine covers. The Poetry Lighthouse will publish her full-length collection Record Player Life in the coming months. Stay tuned and keep writing!
Find more from Rachel on her website, BlueSky, and Instagram.
