choco alchemist

"It is dark as the Alchemist walks along the corridor,

rough stone under his feet,

air warmed from well smoldering hearth

fires stirring his cowl.

He opens a hewn timber door,

worn smooth at the threshold over years of use.

He breathes deeply the comforting smells of this laboratory.

Hints of wood and smoke linger in the air

from the last time he roasted raw materials

for his elixirs.

Another smell, heady and almost intoxicating,

brings a smile to his face as he remembers

the smell wafting up as he was last grinding

his pastes and powders.

He looks about.

Everything is in place.

The roasting drum is cool in the hearth.

The mortars and pestles are laid out neat and tidy,

only a small amount of deep brown paste

marring their finish.

The cracking mill is sitting ready,

waiting for the next batch to be crushed

fresh out of the roaster.

It is time to begin his magic,

his devotion, his passion,

his Alchemy, yet again.

He prepares himself for the work ahead.

The roasting, the cracking,

the winnowing, the grinding,

the mixing.

The transformation of base materials into

something more than they were.

The transformation of cocoa beans to chocolate,

the work of Chocolate Alchemy."