as 21 questions played the jukebox

whether luck or fate,
the juke box spits the best tune
at first take

around a room,
under spotted light,
passed the two girls at corner windows right,
who stare beyond cell phone screens
into social phenomenon
and true boredom,
to three men,
living horizons,
blowing octobers crisp
wind out their clasped
palms
with the warmth of their back and forth,
like it mattered to eternity,

like conscious and perceptions
for how love
and lonely
happens
like intentions I,
forgotten
remember
a good heart being broken;
and still, for my heart you have spoken;
between
these tin roofed, wooded walls,
they have broken out
from the pie charts
and the bar graphs spells;
and we learn that,
to somewhere
and someone
we are all the errors margin,
our lives the hope
of defying
everything the experts say;

and were the other side
of this restaurant bench occupied,
by she I'd say let's make a break for it.
the president debates
are through,
i heard the worlds a scary place
for most,
and i'm awake to unearthing monsters;
lord knows they don't fear teleprompters,
nor could 2 trillion more
for ships and helicopters
possibly search all the right closets,
in time.

so let beyond realistics sureity,
mouth your lovers hands into the cure,
to a terrified world's need to be heard;
and over mexican and beer
we'll make cold wind out of our fears
and do so,
after all, do so,
with my breath still on your finger tips,
like three men making music
even more melodic,
than Nate Dogg & 50 cent,
or so i imagined it,
as 21 questions played the jukebox.                                

for the wilder pastures

i said a girl like that fades as quick as she smiles, exiting your mind as fast as she flirts. but george couldn't hear me as loud as her skirt, make believing she'd considered him more than the next guy with white skin, khaki pants and bad spanish; and the minute he gave her his, was the same she moved on, to some other game she's playing with eyes and the forces of attraction, some other rope she's pulling, some hope she's twisting. and i wanted to say, wise up smell the summer sun george, look to the hills, and run, for the wilder pastures no one ever takes to because you can't be certain where they roll, nor be home in time to have your hands washed for dinner, and these still have two days of color, some vendor is holding them at your car window, and the light's turning green. 

why i ran for the city i'll never know, but the inundation of curbside daisies never really feels like home, because i was once led through the wild pastures; and their is living color in that which grows; but she made back and forths as a felled flower george, like bubble wrapped plastic - ribbons and bow, with some factory written note that says i love you, but means i don't have time to; but he cashed out, and when he did, part of my soul died too, to think that i might soon; 

meanwhile the hillsides are waving, george isn't watching, and neither is worried; 

except for me. 

Let's Talk Coffee: (Day 1) To Comalapa & Bogota

A 3 pm flight out of Comalapa International Airport; had Antonio and I, Panamericana bound half past 11, quickly dropping by my apartment in the city to drop off my bike and pick up my bag. We talked about the 10th of October community, about that fact that not everything in El Salvador is traced back to the war, and the newly constructed KENWOOD sign that sings out white letters and marketing from the hills of Los Planes, like Hollywood is something we're supposed to imitate.
We said nos vemos, and put the truck back into gear, leaving me sea-level in front of the airport with my bags and a partially sweaty back. I passported my away into a crowd, and quickly checked my bags, receiving instructions and my boarding pass almost entirely in spanish; up until the question of whether or not there were explosives in my baggage, to which I asked for english; against what she had already perceived as my stubborn and strong will.

I will fake comprehension before I admit shortcoming.

Through security and  passed duty free,  I was gate 10 in time to internet, exchanging a few emails with Emilio, and instagram a photo of my ticket and plane, all the while people-watching the Costa Rican national tai-kwon-do team flirt their youth and matching jump suits through the terminal. I was jealous that they were so many, so visibly surrounded by friendship and comradery, and yet I was glad I didn't have a best friend to fight with for the seat next to the brunette with glasses.

Boarding call and a quick photo of the side of the plane, and I was 24 A and a cat nap against the window, in time for take off, and the fading Salvadoran coastline; the San Miguel Volcano pointing to heaven like its the only thing he knows.

Their are moments in life, where one feels so aware of the present, the past and future fold neatly into now, like they've always been there, and always will be. There is no shame, nor fear, simply rest, and the coastline bends eastward, and you spot Honduras in time to notice your flying into an expedited sunset; as sunlight bends into kitchen lanterns, stadium lights, and some little 12 year old girls reading lamp, and it's dark outside, and you're happy, because the man just announced our descent into Bogota.

Let's Talk Coffee 2012: the next generation in relationship coffee

Today, at the near start of a new harvest, I will have the opportunity to travel, on behalf of Cuatro M, to Antioquia, Colombia; to attend an event hosted by Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers (Portland, OR - USA), titled Let's Talk Coffee: The next generation of relationship coffee.   

Sustainable Harvest themselves, are a coffee importing company based in Portland, Oregon, that we work with and export coffee to over the course of the harvest. With offices and staff then based all over the coffee growing world, their business model structures itself around the idea of relationship coffee & transparency; meaning that their goal in importing coffee, is to do so from farmers that they have direct relationships with, and work with year round, and in a manner that is visible and honest with the financial aspects of the buying and selling.  

Beginning Thursday; and over the course of four days, lectures, discussion, and workshops will take place within the coffee producing country of Colombia, all related to the topic of specialty coffee, its development over the past decades, its state, and its future. 

The idea or, theme of the summit is, "the next generation of relationship coffee," which in essence promotes the principles of community, innovation, and growth; driven toward the idea of joining farmers and millers with roasters to talk about themes within the coffee industry; linked by the importer, Sustainable Harvest. 

Since Cuatro M is a miller and supplier of coffee to Sustainable Harvest, they are providing for all of the expenses of my trip while in Columbia, something they contribute to each individual coffee supplier they work with. 

Having spent the last few weeks reading over the program of events that will take place during Let's Talk Coffee, my head is packed with  ideas that I desire to share and take away from the week. I am perhaps most excited to meet with other farmers and millers, and hear about the manner in which they have developed over the last decades as a result of both their work with Sustainable Harvest, and the specialty coffee industry. 

Understanding the history of development within the coffee industry,  and recognizing that the specialty industry is less than a half century old, I begin to realize that folks working today, are the very ones who have seen the most dramatic changes, and improvements; and can therefore attest most vividly to the development at work across the coffee growing world. 

I am eager to hear those stories. I am eager to listen to folks talk about markets, and develop relationships various members of the specialty community. I am eager to put forth my questions regarding the still urgent need for development in much of coffee growing world, and to hear responses from folks who spend their careers making that happen; and over the course of the next week and a half, I hope to introduce, share some of my expectations for, give updates, and offer a final response to those things learned and experienced at Let's Talk Coffee 2012.