I like my coffee
before I brush my teeth.
First I fought this discovery
and brushed first
but the coffee would be void
of this unique gustatory pleasure.

My dentist has no clue
to this effect,
neither does the world.
My children aren’t aware;
my wife suspects.
Occasionally she’ll squirm
and let me kiss her deeply
in our morning embrace –
something I relish.
Maybe I love raw breath;
she’s yet to get the fetish.
The lactic and butyric acids
spared from the sweep of toothpaste
make one appreciate
how magical it is
to be human.