Grinding the Words

grinding the words…

this is what I do,

from morning to evening…

the paper filter in my throat fills up

with bittersweet word grounds,

a species darker than the coffee beans,

that slowly change the color of my blood,

and stain my every cell

until I am changed into

a long snail

leaving minty trails of nostalgia,

or purple trails of infatuation,

or sometimes, a brine of sadness,

so salty that it makes the ice caps melt.

Photo via Unsplash.