O bleary predawn gothic: Blue, black, and grey
Stumble sleepwalk to the kitchen
Only this single ritual could start the day
Head bowed at the altar of this brackish liquid

Gather materials: Filter, kettle, urn
Boil the water, begin to pour
Go fetch the paper from the front step and learn
That the country fears another Civil War

Light starts to leak through the antique window
Your wife and daughter are still asleep in bed
At the bottom of your mug is a map of Ohio
At the bottom of your heart is a map of your dread

Under a weird blue smokeless sky you drink up
Soon will be time for another cup