My Lover, As Coffee by Leah Mueller

Espresso eyes:

caffeinated and

intensely rich.

No creamer 

for this java.

I drink it bitter,

straight, from 

a dirty shot glass. 

Daylight awaits us,

a set of fangs

at the end of

sleep’s tunnel--

but at least I am

wide awake, 

ready for another 

cup of you.

Leah Mueller is the author of ten prose and poetry books. Her work appears in Rattle, Midway Journal, Citron Review, The Spectacle, Miracle Monocle, Outlook Springs, Atticus Review, Your Impossible Voice, etc. It has also been featured in trees, shop windows in Scotland, poetry subscription boxes, and literary dispensers throughout the world. Her flash piece, "Land of Eternal Thirst" will appear in the 2022 edition of Sonder Press' "Best Small Fictions" anthology. Visit her website at www.leahmueller.org.