Introducing a new series of poems by Julian Matthews. Julian is a writer and Pushcart-nominated poet published in The American Journal of Poetry, Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, Borderless Journal, Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Dream Catcher Magazine, Live Encounters Magazine, Lothlorien Poetry Journal and The New Verse News, among others. He is a mixed-race minority from Malaysia and lived in Ipoh for seven years. Currently based in Petaling Jaya, he is a media trainer and consultant for senior management of multinationals on Effective Media Relations, Social Media and Crisis Communications. He was formerly a journalist with The Star and Nikkei Business Publications Inc
Link: https://linktr.ee/julianmatthews
By Julian Matthews
The barista did not spell my name right again.
I harumph and cradle the coffee like a grenade
to my favorite corner seat.
But it’s taken. Double harumph!
I trudge to a window seat, as if it’s the last one
on a delayed flight – my pre-coffee grumpiness
steaming from my ears, my patience
running out like a lit fuse.
Settling into my seat, I notice the swan
in my coffee is less placid latte art
but something beastly, grotesque,
its wing deformed, contorted
its head hydra-like, a hooded
cobra about to strike.
My day barely begun,
I already feel stung.
First published in Poetry for Mental Health Book Series: Anxiety and Depression, published by Robin Barratt, UK, and available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCXQ5K2S
