The coffee sits, black as a crow’s eye,in a cup chipped like an old prophet’s tooth.It steams, a quiet oracle,whispering to the dawn’s frayed hem.Not redemption, no,but close enough—its bitterness kisses the tongue,sharp as a lover’s half-forgotten lie,warm as a hand you swore you’d hold forever.In the diner’s drone,where the light bulb sputters like a […]

Hymn for the Black Brew

• The Lord Jesus