My stories about classes are in some measure related to coffee. I used to have coffee with milk during my school years before going to my first class. During college, I had the chance to have a lot of coffee. And during those last years I could go to @marlyncabrera's office and have a cup of a really nice black coffee and without sugar, just how I like it.
Two weeks ago I had the chance to get back to teaching and be the for a group of people interested in the art of Haiku. Among the suggestions, I had the nice idea, given by @adncabrera, to make coffee three days in a row for the participants and for myself.
And making coffee is much like writing a haiku. It is a moment that is captured in a sensorial experience. Converting such an experience into poetry is an interesting task. Water boils. Coffee goes in. Add spices. Let it simmer. Strain it. Let the small sink in. Put it into a thermos. Get a cup to taste. Bring it to class. And have it become some sort of elixir, waking up minds and giving people time to relax and build a rapport in class.
It wasn't until the last day, that coffee ran out. It was interesting since it was the day I made the strongest brew. Maybe people liked it as such. I added some cinnamon and cloves to the mix to give it more aroma. And also because I don't like adding sugar to coffee.
One of my students brought some cookies and gave me some coffee to make. Another brought cake for the last class.
And it is as such that coffee is usually related to so many intellectual activities. My first poetry workshop couldn't be different. It is cool to keep alive a tradition that started in Africa, went to the Ottomans, reached Europe during The Enlightenment and then came to America.
And maybe coffee was the catalyst of really amazing haiku that were produced during the workshop. I know its all about the quality of students I had. That's for sure.
There's a thing about these workshops that feels amazing. I like to take them, but teaching them is certainly an experience I hope to relive again soon enough. And you can bet there will be coffee involved in the mix!
a tribute to tradition-
taste centuries
carries echoes of the past
to the modern age
Photos 📷: Redmi Note 13
Thumbnail 🖼️: Canva.
Editing 🎬: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
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