Coffee, Strong and Slightly Bitter, Mellowed

I like my coffee strong, usually a dark roast, a French roast, strong and slightly bitter, but mellowed with a little cream, not milk, cream, just enough to cut the bitterness but not mask the taste of a strong coffee.

Now there are those folks who swear by their coffee to wake them up in the morning or to keep them going when they start to drag, the late-night workers trying to stay awake or the students cramming for a big exam the next day. Me? Not so much. I drink it because I like the taste, mornings perhaps out of habit, too, but I don’t warn people to leave me alone until I’ve had my first two cups of coffee – I’m no bear without it. And it really doesn’t wake me up in the morning; I wake up, get myself together to start my day, and then go for the coffee as part of my breakfast, to compliment my bowl of honey-nut cheerios and the morning news. Coffee is a slow drink, and I linger over it mornings, stretching out the morning; perhaps, too, it’s a reason to linger and not begin working or starting some project. But I don’t like being disturbed over breakfast and the news; it’s my time, a time of quiet before the rush of the day ahead. If I’m a bear, it’s not the lack of coffee, but the being disturbed.

And the afternoon cup is to slow down the day, a break, a time to retreat into myself, to quiet the world around me, an excuse to pull away and reflect, a reflection guided by a slow mug of coffee lingered over, not because I need it, but because I like it, that dark, slightly bitter taste, mellowed by cream, washing down a chocolate chip cookie or a sugary donut, a time to recharge, alone with my thoughts, and perhaps a pen and a clean sheet of paper.

As for it keeping me awake on those late nights, forcing myself to stay awake and finish some movie, or a good book, or some project I’m engrossed in? Doesn’t work for me. When I’m tired, I’m tired, and no amount of caffeine will keep me awake. I’ve even been known to linger over a cup of coffee before bed, slowing life down and falling asleep, sleeping the night away and waking refreshed, ready for … well, ready for the morning coffee, honey-nut Cheerios, and the news, the start of a new day, once again, undisturbed.