Neither White nor Sweet - Oct. 5, 2021

every so often

I’ll take my coffee

black and bitter

no cream to bend

the arrow’s shot

towards its target

no sugar to make it

a glancing blow

or a just-missed

but that direct hit

on the day’s beginning

a sobering slap

the second wakeup

after one false start

to be back on my mark

ready and set

to bolt

the horse in an open field

and just enough pluck

to piss off the grasses

and the morning sleepers