An Ode to Coffee

Ah coffee. How I love thee. Your bitter aroma caresses my nose as I approach. My senses tingle with anticipation. I lift the cup. You reach my lips.

I have never known such a pleasure as this. 

Your warmth slides across my tongue. You make me feel alive. When we are done, you are still there. The electricity in my veins that powers me. I hope you never leave.

 

I moved to the Big Smoke in 2013 and recently have relocated (temporarily) back to the North West. Here, I am mercilessly and relentlessly teased for the city addiction I have picked up: Coffee.

I’m not sure how it happened. Was it the Starbucks on every corner? Was it the Pret A Manger opposite work? Was it everyone else’s habit rubbing off on me? I don’t have enough caffeine in me right now to answer that. All I know is that anything over about 12 hours without coffee is full of brain fog, the makings of a head ache from hell start to creep in and everything just feels wrong. Despite this, I love the stuff I really do.

 

I love coffee that packs a punch.

I love that morning Strong Black Americano. No sugar please, this coffee is here to slap me until I make sense. Or hey, a Flat White? Maybe a nice strong filter coffee. No milk. No Sugar. Just caffeine goodness.

 

I love sweet tasting, creamy coffee.

Oh hello old friend, I just can’t wait to hear about your new job- sorry just a second. “Yep, I’ll have a caramel latte please.” Or a cappuccino with biscotti. Lovely. How about when you need something sweet to brighten your day or get you through cold winter months? It’s all about the Mocha then!

 

I love coffee that refreshes.

Overwhelming city heat? No problem, I’ll make mine a vanilla frappacino please.

 

It’s all so customisable as well. Boss breathing down your neck? Extra shot of espresso. Cow milk not so good for you? Have it black or a nice drop of Soy Milk in there.

So apart from being tasty and downright personal, why else should you be clutching a coffee right now? Well, if you have something to achieve today, coffee will it make 250067390%* easier. Doing the hoovering? Easy. Finding a needle in a haystack? No problem. Strapping kittens to rockets? You monster. But admittedly it will be easier with coffee. Anyone who has ever been a student will know that the only way to survive 3 a.m. in the library is coffee or vodka. And only one of those options will likely get you closer to a 2:1.

* fact may or may not be utter bullshit.

On a personal note, I am a creative personality. I act. I write. I take photographs. This means one thing. To be a truly creative bohemian visionary I need a vice. Come on, everyone has one! Drugs killed Amy Winehouse and she must have made a fortune turning her experiences into the song Rehab. Now the problem is, I only smoke when I’m drinking and I’m currently sober. Ok I have a glass of wine every now and then but I don’t really do the whole drunk thing. I’m on antidepressants so pretty much every drug is a no no in a “this really might kill me pretty quickly” kind of way or a “yes you can take me but what the hell is the point of taking the ADs if you do?” kind of way. So you see my problem. I need something to lament about. Something to crave. Something to have power over me in a way that has me shaking when I don’t have it.

For me, that’s coffee. Like right now. When I wasn’t sure what I was passionate enough about to write I wrote this. An ode, to that wonderful liquid, that king amongst men, that beautiful elixir of life… coffee.