Sitting quietly in my worded haven

wanting something new

needing a break from the predictable

craving the nuance of never mentioned antidotes

plundering my vocabulary for something to entertain me

and all I can imagine is coffee and hair spray.

As in an early morning
while the house still feels brand new
last night forever gone with the morning dew
sheets still softly cradling me in their care
birds chirping, sun rising, life still yet to happen
and the scents I find most alluring
are coffee and hair spray.

They bribe me, these scents
with their savory expressions
beckoning me from my comforts
challenging me to rise
to enter living anew become part of life
dress for success no matter how small
be willing to conquer another day as it calls
me into its presence to be as it needs
but wait, nix all of that
first coffee and hair spray.

The smells of my mornings for years upon years
that graced me through waking
that walked me through tears
of baby not happy, partner a jerk
laundry and dishes, oh my god, then there's work
homework and bathes, supper and such
it's late, I need sleep then coffee and hair spray.

Where now it remains a staple of my existence
romancing me still with its simple expressions
of let's get going there's life still to live
there's traffic and news and a few shopping lists
there's pets that need fed
there's people to call
there's a house that needs cleaned
and to top it all off
none of it begins
without coffee and hair spray.
Jade Jaspers