Conscious Deliberation The hard question is Why does one set of atoms Act any differently Than the others who Turn out to be tables and chairs? Yet this set Rises out of bed when The alarm rings. While that set sends Coffee Fragrances Through the air. One set thinks it thinks And hurries off to work. The others play inert And lie cold in the cup. But who has ever asked Morning coffee for its thoughts? Would the effort to speak Be understood or just crack The porcelain touching the lip? Forget computer technology And concentrate on language In the cup. The hard questions Find their answers in The last place you'd think to look. L. Fullington If you've any thoughts about this poem, please share them with L. Fullington This poem, by the way, can be found in L. Fullington's latest book, The Leprechaun with a Global Perspective, available from Lulu Books.