By Maria Rohde
Fall Swallowing Me Whole
As the summer winds down, the days get shorter & the sun slides into the sky sooner & sooner still. The air threatens to slice into my skin, a knife, quick & easy. When this happens, if I am not careful, fall will swallow me in one gulp, without even chewing, like a snake does a mouse.
Discipline and Cold Water
The porta filter is stuck— can you tamp the ground too tight? Perhaps. Or maybe the espresso machine is just finkky. What does it mean to grow if it's all underground? You become disciplined when the portafilter isn't stuck. Cold water makes you grow above ground, but is worthwhile?
Life During a Good Time
Q: Where do you work? A: I'll tell ya. Q: Where do you live? A: Attempting to live at the intersection of stoicism and chill, wherever that is. Q: What did you have for dinner? A: It needed a little more depth. Q: What are you watching? A: A new car wasn't even $10,000. Q: What are you reading? A: Sometimes you grow up in the space of a moment. Q: What are you doing after this? A: Grounding myself with a cafe miel.
Maria Rohde is a 2015 graduate of the Susquehanna University Writers Institute and has also attended Writer Camp which is sponsored by Barrelhouse Magazine the past two years. When not reading or writing Maria can be found at her favorite coffee shop, Grounding Coffee, or improving her skills at her kickboxing studio, Kickhouse. She also enjoys spending time with her cats, watching documentaries, and making art any way she can.
Academy of the Heart And Mind 