what a cup of tea

This is the poem from which the title of this blog, "what a cup of tea," derives. A cup of tea is a lot like life. It can be warm and comforting, just the thing on a cold winter's morn. When offered a cup of tea as a gesture of hospitality, one is obligated as an expression of good manners to accept graciously. And yet, that cup of tea can be cause for dismay, because it's just one more thing that one didn't expect to be so disappointing. So, I've styled this blog "what a cup of tea" as a commentary on what I've encountered in life. Life gets served up, and sometimes I'm delighted and inspired, uplifted even. And other times, I am in utter dismay. I'd be interested in reading what you think. So, feel free to comment here.

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Playing one game

after another

she claims to meditate

upon the tiles

which ones to move

to reveal the quadruple play

intellect rationalized

self removed

Sonambulant, she rises

Suburban episodes

strung together

like beads

on a rosary

Pray for love

live for hope

pray for second chances

hope, to live

pray for relief

please

from duty

and the small stuff

all the small stuff

that bind the days

vignettes

like bandages

bleached

hung out to dry

twisting in the wind

into the wind

Lives the smoldering furor

’neath the tall pine trees

lives the little danger

on the forest floor

all the things

that will n’er be

disappointment at dawn

what a cup of tea

the unfolding of a letter

plain words upon plain paper

the unraveling of a lifeline

to stall means to conk out

all the things that will not be

They will not be

Amidst the forest thirsty

rising from branches fallen

smoke and ashes

invite tears

or is it her breaking heart

bending her in agony

that morphs fears to tears

It doesn’t matter

there is no going back

All the things that will not be

They will not be

Up a forest

smoking goes

charred

her heart

her head

their homes

Lost

their dreams

Regrets

too late

Regrets

and hate

The toll of love

all that’s left

to relate

n’er a romance

nor morality play

Only a story

in minor key

contemporary tale

of no escape

Lelanda Lee

April 30, 2004

(inspired by the story of a ranger who burned her lover’s letter and started a catastrophic forest fire)