Hissing beneath the stream of boiled water
A prayer and freshly ground coffee beans
The smell, heavenly, wafts up and around
Curling into the shape of memory
I have been making love to ghosts, and I
I see their faces rising in the steam
Whispers of men I could hold if I tried
They draped themselves across my bed, and me
Weightless, cool, we sank into a cloud or
We became it, the vapour, just briefly
Then it was over, the bed warm, and I
I woke to the sunlight and solitude
My body my own again, the cycle
Renewed by a handheld grinding machine
Whole at first and then dust, quickly dissolved
I breathe, I drink, the morning burns brighter
Adil Munim (he/him) is a writer, sometimes poet, and former lawyer. His writing draws on his experiences as a Queer Muslim and touches on topics of identity, faith, and freedom. He can typically be found at a local coffee shop or on Instagram at @__adilm.