It’s a cloudy day 

As if the rainclouds will at any moment give way 

It’s reminiscent of my college days

My brain fills in the tunes as I look outside 

Acoustic Chill, Alexa would call the station 

It’s a soothing tune 

In my mind it’s replayin’

Some smooth Adele, bold lyrics by Mumford & Sons, sometimes just instruments

And oh, sipping iced coffee was wonderful, I reminisce 

There were too many facts to know 

Too many sentences and papers to compose 

How many hours did I sit there?

Hunched over, in that cold metal chair?

But a $6 coffee was delicious 

Brain-power food 

My muscles would nonetheless get stiff 

Time for a refill

Higher education is a gift 

I feel that way, still 

I suppose there’s something special to it 

Reading, studying, learning – tucked away in a nook 

In the back of that Starbucks, I could hide out in a book 

On a drizzly day 

Till late May 

Now I look out the picture window of my own house 

On a drizzly afternoon 

I read different things

Turns out one never really graduates

A young man walks an old beagle 

I sip hot tomato soup from my spoon 

And the guy holds a coffee cup 

I feel a bit regal 

He walks barefoot

Does he think this is Seattle?

My nursing degree hangs on the wall, a hard-fought battle 

Acoustic Chill plays softly 

Out of his backpack, the man pulls a book 

A mug and a thermos too

And when I next look, he’s looking right at me 

And mouths, “Would you like a cup of coffee?”