Lovingly, he measures out the imported gourmet beans. He hesitates a moment, inhaling their scent, savoring their aroma. With great care, he pours the precious beans into his beloved grinder, his cherished plaything. Its cacophonous contralto vibrates, serenades. Transfixed, he marvels at its elegant precision. Then, tenderly, he tamps the fragrant freshly ground powder into the portafilter and pulls a single steaming espresso shot, just enough to fill the tiny cup. This cup, these beans and machines, treasured paramours all, tantalize, monopolizing his affections. All but unnoticed, I watch, fantasizing ways to destroy these mesmerizing rivals less worthy of his attentions.

Wendy K. Mages, a Mercy University Professor, is a Pushcart Prize nominee and an award-winning poet and author. She earned her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her master’s in Theatre at Northwestern University. As a complement to her research on the effect of the arts on learning and development, she performs at storytelling events and festivals in the US and abroad. To learn more about her and her work, and to find links to her published stories and poetry, please visit her Mercy University Faculty page https://www.mercy.edu/directory/wendy-mages and Wendy Mages: Storyteller https://sites.google.com/view/wendy-mages-storyteller