Cup of Joe

(circa Dec. 15th, 2017)
 
Every evening
before each work day
at Columbia High
in Maplewood NJ,
I pick out my clothes,
socks and tie and
my wife makes my lunch,
 
I get up with the 5:05am alarm,
after hitting the"snooze button" twice,
put the coffee and H20
in the Mr. Coffee maker,
take my shower,
shave and
change into 
the monkey suit.
 
If there is snow,
I brush the white stuff off the Focus,
creak into the cold car seat,
turning on the ignition key
to warm up the auto,
 
then running back into
the pellet stove 
heated home to
grab the lunch pail,
and satchel 
lined with 
      lessons,
      student work,
      grade book,
      attendance book,
      and flash drive
to plug into the “smart board”
for showing images and videos
 
AND my aluminum
traveling coffee mug.
 
Oh Coffee…..
your aroma and stimulation
prepare my nerves for
the stress of the day.
 
I walk into the classroom 
laying out on the scratched desk
what I need for the day.
 
      The lesson,
      the Delaney attendance book,
      a Prentice Hall U.S. History book,
      folders of work collected and
      folders of work corrected from
      my five classes.
 
My teacher neighbor is brewing coffee
and the sound and  bouquet of the
stewing bean steam reminds me
of the cup I brought with me.
 
Where is my coffee mug?
I CANNOT FIND MY COFFEE MUG!
 
My desire for my
missing traveling mug of
liquid caffinated drug
brings me panic,
sadness and pain.
 
At 3:30 pm,  as I approach
the car in the school parking lot,
is my snow covered car,
and my snow covered coffee mug
on the snow covered auto roof…

I think,  if only cars
had small microwaves -
 
as the Amrak Train
passes on its way
to New York City,
the rolling wheels
kicking up the fresh snow
off the tracks 
like a child blowing 
pixie stick dust off 
the kitchen table.
 
I stop by Mickey D’s
for the $1 coffee
for my
neverending 
jones
making the 45 mile
commute home
a little more bearable.