—the last word that lingers on the tongue, whether you wanted it to or not.
The cup was gone, the mug was bare,
Yet something stayed, still hanging there.
A bitter cling, a shadow’s weight,
The residue of what was late.
You tried to rinse, you tried to hide,
But flavors don’t just step aside.
It wasn’t sweet, it wasn’t clean,
It ghosted soft in what had been.
The lips remembered, tongue recalled,
A silence sharp, a moment stalled.
The drink was done, but not the debt.
A taste of things you can’t forget.
The coffee fades, the echo stays.
A mouthful lost in endless ways.
📜 Aftertaste – The Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Espresso (the ghost)
- 1 oz Cold Brew (the shadow)
- Dash of Cocoa Powder (the residue)
- Garnish: None—what’s left behind is garnish enough
Instructions:
Stir espresso and cold brew together in a small, plain cup. Dust lightly with cocoa and let it sink rather than sit. Drink in silence. Don’t chase it.
Let it linger. It will anyway.