**_Ode to My Mug_******

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**Oh, my beloved ceramic cup,**

**Each morning, we greet the rising sun,**

**A steaming embrace in my hand,**

**Filled with liquid warmth—you’re the one.**

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**No beating heart within your rim,**

**Yet you hold the pulse of my day,**

**Coffee, tea, cocoa—whichever whim,**

**In your gentle curve, dreams stay.**

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**I cradle you, a partner in thought,**

**Through t...

**For my 23rd birthday, I didn’t expect much. A quiet dinner with my family, a few calls from friends, maybe some new books. But when my grandfather handed me a small, worn-out box, something inside me stirred. His eyes twinkled behind thick glasses, and a mischievous grin crept up on his face.**

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**“Happy birthday, Emma,” he said, patting my shoulder.**

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**I smiled, peeling the faded pape...