First Cup: Adenosine, Undone

Lyrics

[Intro]
The kettle speaks first.
The cup is still cold.

[Verse 1]
Somewhere in the brainstem, adenosine has been building all night —
a molecule shaped like a little key
sliding into the lock of a receptor
that says: rest. Slow. Do not start.
That is the lock I inherit at 8 AM.

[Verse 2]
Then caffeine comes — same rough shape,
wrong teeth on the key,
slides in, does not turn,
blocks the adenosine out.
The receptor does not fire.
The brain misreads its own tiredness.
The brain decides, with relief, that it is not tired.

[Chorus]
So this is what morning is.
A molecule pretending to be another molecule.
A cup, a switch, a kindness to the day.
The lights come on behind the eyes.
The first thought is: begin.

[Bridge]
Outside, the BeltLine is already breathing.
Cyclists, joggers, a dog on a string.
The building is not yet full. The kettle sighs.

[Outro]
Adenosine, undone. For a few hours.
For this hour. Begin.