4.17

One of the weakest characters you could imagine. a customer - but I don't mind. 2025 and I don't even have to show my money or sad desire to your face. Only my phone knows. I scream down the road in my VW at 5am to get my cold brew before the foam melts. In and out. You blink and I am gone.

3.20.25

An endless cup of coffee took me from the pages out into the streets I could no longer be still and stumbled into the eyes of an alley cat who froze electrified then jumped ten times its height on to a ledge. disappeared. my back fell to the wall and I felt a good story in my veins taking the concrete and casting it in a sempiternal shine.  #katyamills

1.30.25

 walking the city streets to work she stopped only for coffee. ideas clamored for attention since she shut out the news. today it was why not get a kitten for my two cats to raise? the wind bit her neck and she pulled up her collar. got to work super early. time to write. #katyamills

bottle blue

the voices bombed her head until she told them off

a touch of bottle blue coffee on her tongue

the cats lapped up a saucer of oat milk

the painting of a grape harvest had eight different shades of red

when the afternoon sun crept down the wall 

from the window and caught it

#katyamills

death of a burr grinder

four am

under the halogen 

ten years my trusted companion

your gears wound down to naught

surprised i was 

feeling so sudden sad 

realizing you gave us

all you had

and all you got i

almost cried beside

the lonely coffee

pot

#katyamills

Day One. 2024

Day One. 2024. Don't let this be just another day. Let it be an opportunity for you! I want to make some changes to my routine, starting tomorrow. Water before coffee. Yoga before writing. Writing before going anywhere near social media. Water. Yoga. Shower. Coffee. Writing. Then ideally a short walk before I start my work day. I think I can do it. I already get up at 4:00 am every morning and I do everything now except the yoga (currently 2x week). The key is to have a realistic plan!  #katyamills

all love

you were sunk in the couch trying to escape the world. i couldn't light a fire under your ass so i lit the three wick candle. the cats were positioned one on top of the other grabbing neck by the teeth and simulating sex. cut it out. you're brothers for godsake not to mention fixed. I rambled on senselessly in the dark. You have a love and hate relationship with coffee! you shouted. I had to stop and think. No. That's not right. It's all love.   #katyamills

what you want won't help you much

what you want won't help you

any longer than the sweet brief season

in anticipation of getting it... 

getting it... having it upon getting it... 

until it no longer really interests you

because you already got it

#katyamills

burners blue

the final day 

in May we shambled to town hall 

cold and nine parts gray

to liberate the coffee from 

the crates and gave it 

all away

Main Street turned blue 

burners on

nothing really to do

but have a cup 

and chase our stories out on a single ray

the final day 

of May

#katyamills

upon waking. tuesday morning

tuesday morning

wake me with flashing pixelated light

blast me with heat from a gasoline engine

drop a single sugar donut into my belly

float me on a river of coffee 

black. let them play with words 

if they want 

#katyamills

whip

the barista and i have a moment. Lavazza café. hotel lobby. she can see i can see she's not thrilled to be working over the holidays and i feel for her. all around us people are playing. a few of them winning a lot of them drinking some of them smoking. most of them losing. she asks me again. changes my heart on it. push the valve. soft top my mocha with whip

#katyamills

mouth

she rustled around for small bills 

and change

poured the dregs of french roast down her throat

dressed in many layers she

limped to the store by her cane

not caring how she came off

her mouth would get her out 

of any trouble it got her in

#katyamills

zomby warhead

we all got a hundred problems 

and i got mine. zombie on the road

coffee seeking missiles capped with warhead aches

too early for the sun and so

we exist in darkness

#katyamills

bloom

get up and say a prayer. drag these 50 year bones to the kitchen. pull the bag of beans out of the freezer and and grind them by hand while the tea kettle fires water to a boil. memories begin to percolate in my styled bed head. the whistle. the first splash into the ceramic cone lined with filter is to let her bloom over the mason jar. the thoughts are beginning to breathe. images of new england and chicago and the road between them. clockwise over the grounds and feelings are bubbling up now. long slow exhalations. it's between four thirty and five. the frothy brown liquid is ready. deep blue yosemite mug. pull my hood over my head, open the sliding glass door and walk out into the dawn. i have to leave the past behind or it will kill me. just listen to the morning birds. just watch the sky fill with light. #katyamills

whatever (it takes)

 smoked a whole pack 

of cigarettes drank an entire pot

of coffee

whatever it takes to keep still 

and write the damn

book

#katyamills

farewell to a peaceful day

it started so well. a cool morning after a hot day in the valley. my love came to see me and we read the newspaper together on the balcony. like any couple on any sunday morning going back a hundred years. the prime minister of Japan had been assassinated. i went to prepare coffee and discovered one of the cats was missing. somehow the front door had been left open. my heart sank. we searched and searched. i called and whistled and called before falling into an emotional flatland. i went online to distract myself from the shock. one of my old friends whom i survived addiction with  - initials DC -  had been homeless on the streets for many months now. farewell to a peaceful sunday.   #katyamills

coffee slut

our breakfast joint kicked us out. covid rules. paper cups and bags to go

so we sat down in the lot unwrapped our sandwiches and ate

a honda with a coffee slut bumper sticker was running up on the curb 

you got up and helped her park. she thanked you by standing there 

spouting how ukrainians are all nazis and vaccines give us covid 

her toenails bright ugly orange over my pastrami bagel

the best thing about being on the street is you're not a captive

audience   #katyamills

april

a dynamic and fogcutting roast 

followed organic wheat toast

into the belly of one nation

under god. indivisible. with liberty 

and justice 4 some if not

all      #katyamills

saturday special

here comes Carlo 

to bless us with the egg mcmuffin

all i got this day i hope to give 

coffee. sucre. crema

a crystal clear morning 

i wanna live 

#katyamills

workers on break

slowed heartbeats

inhaling the rain 

on break

stirring grounds 

in the kettle

pushing the embers

cutting earth out of the sole

with a blade

cherishing a smoke

with a friend

#katyamills