Tea
Steeped in ancient alchemy
infusions of plant
with water
run hot and cold.
Parties in its honour go
from girls with folded hands and their dolls
to political overthrows in a Boston harbour.
Its blends dance
from dark black leaves shipped in from Ceylon
to rose petals and nettles plucked from the back forty.
Ceremonies reach deep into tradition
from the lengthy formal Japanese chaji dating back to 815 AD.
to the three servings of Maghrebi mint in Morocco.
Tea habits measure our days and seasons
from a hot cup of sweet black leaves on rising
to an iced fruity mix on a hot summer afternoon.
Embracing our senses
tea is like a companion.
A first sip warmly hugs us from the inside out.
We hold its chalice reverently,
then lightly mourn its passing.
It even reads us tales of our past, present and future,
illuminates our wishes and soothes our sadnesses.
Tea
if we let it
takes us into its arms
holds us steady
infinitely patient
and accepting of all our human ways.
May 17, 2016
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Lean on Tea
Lean on tea
when you're not strong
when the day daunts
and the ghosts haunt
when you need a friend
to carry on
tea
tea will warm your hands
and warm your heart
with stories and tales
and comfort you across rough terrain.
And that day
when you need some courage
Tea has your back.
It will be there when you get home
and need to talk about it.
Tea can hear it all
and smile
and love you
as you are.
Yes.
Tea loves.
You can lean on tea.
June 18, 2016
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Tea is an act complete in its simplicity.
When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea.
The rest of the world dissolves.
There are no worries about the future.
No dwelling on past mistakes.
Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.
I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup.
I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me.
I am informed by the tea, changed.
This is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose.
There is only the tea, and me, converging. — Thich Nhat Hanh
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. — Thich Nhat Hanh
In the 1906 volume by Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea, the author says,
"Teasim is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life."
After discoursing on the subject of humanity's struggle for wealth and power, he says,
"Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things."
Okakura also cautions:
"However, let us not be too sentimental. Let us be less luxurious but more magnificent."
Steeped in ancient alchemy
infusions of plant
with water
run hot and cold.
Parties in its honour go
from girls with folded hands and their dolls
to political overthrows in a Boston harbour.
Its blends dance
from dark black leaves shipped in from Ceylon
to rose petals and nettles plucked from the back forty.
Ceremonies reach deep into tradition
from the lengthy formal Japanese chaji dating back to 815 AD.
to the three servings of Maghrebi mint in Morocco.
Tea habits measure our days and seasons
from a hot cup of sweet black leaves on rising
to an iced fruity mix on a hot summer afternoon.
Embracing our senses
tea is like a companion.
A first sip warmly hugs us from the inside out.
We hold its chalice reverently,
then lightly mourn its passing.
It even reads us tales of our past, present and future,
illuminates our wishes and soothes our sadnesses.
Tea
if we let it
takes us into its arms
holds us steady
infinitely patient
and accepting of all our human ways.
May 17, 2016
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lean on Tea
Lean on tea
when you're not strong
when the day daunts
and the ghosts haunt
when you need a friend
to carry on
tea
tea will warm your hands
and warm your heart
with stories and tales
and comfort you across rough terrain.
And that day
when you need some courage
Tea has your back.
It will be there when you get home
and need to talk about it.
Tea can hear it all
and smile
and love you
as you are.
Yes.
Tea loves.
You can lean on tea.
June 18, 2016
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tea is an act complete in its simplicity.
When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea.
The rest of the world dissolves.
There are no worries about the future.
No dwelling on past mistakes.
Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.
I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup.
I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me.
I am informed by the tea, changed.
This is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose.
There is only the tea, and me, converging. — Thich Nhat Hanh
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. — Thich Nhat Hanh
In the 1906 volume by Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea, the author says,
"Teasim is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life."
After discoursing on the subject of humanity's struggle for wealth and power, he says,
"Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things."
Okakura also cautions:
"However, let us not be too sentimental. Let us be less luxurious but more magnificent."