Morning at NTU

'Mandheling'—
Sea-steel coloured and cheaply canned. 
It claimed to be Italian and Brazilian. 
Now a cold cylindrical plaything between my fingers—
My needing grasp, my passing steps—(the early
Tones of almost-winter morning rang) painlessly
I ran back from the vending machine
With an emptied can (and
Failed to stay away from caffeine again). 
Half-breathed—sat down—and noticed
The capitalised LIFE
MASTER—it was
Bad coffee—but that didn't (really?) matter. 
I went back to the books. 
In front of me, presented: Saturday morning, and a
Single, emptied coffee can.

Dale Chou
2001-11-17