Morning Coffee at Redcliffe

Had a couple of hours to kill at Redcliffe. I ordered a large coffee. “Would you like an extra shot with that?” I respond with a puzzled look. “It makes the coffee stronger.” I wonder about the logic of this but nod the go-ahead. I order a blueberry muffin as an afterthought. I sit outside with a view of Moreton Bay. The usual morning people are enjoying breakfast. A table of six women are giggling and laughing. I immediately glance to see if my fly is secure! A pigeon lands at my feet looking for crumbs. I devour the muffin before my coffee arrives in a cup that looks more like a soup bowl with a handle! I sip my coffee as I read some of “Leaving Alexandria” on my Kindle. I finish my coffee and feel the hair on my scalp rise as the pseudo-adrenalin caffeine-hit raises my alertness. I hear a guitar being gently strummed. There’s a man quietly serenading us breakfasters. I stroll out on the Redcliffe jetty. The air is warm and the tide is in. So peaceful. So relaxing. I look into the water. Portuguese man-o-war, “bluebottles,” gently flap their wings as they drag their chemical-tentacles through the clear liquid. A flock of seagulls stand together looking out into the bay. I hear crows calling to each other from the tall and proud Norfolk Island Pines. A fish leaps. The ripples fade. All becomes quiet. Still. The objective becomes subjective. I am left alone with my thoughts. I silently distil the chemicals produced by the synapse impulses in the refinery of my mind. Beautiful morning! I thank the Lord for life, for everlasting life.