How to Make a Cup of Tea
Boil the water
She used to watch the metal kettle boil
Told me to listen closely for sweet melodies
Whistling through the air
Watch the glass as it steams
after a flick of a switch
Fill it to the brim she said
As she lay sick in bed
Choose your mug
Thick metal mugs,
Tall mugs and mugs from Goodwill
Her mug sits perpetually on the cold counter
She has two shelves, one Disney
The other, everything else
Always told me I had too many
And I was wasting the space
But she still made room
Pick your tea
I’ve always preferred black tea
She likes peppermint and teas from
Wholefoods
I told her in steaming arguments
I’d never be like her
Her pain is a neat box of tea
My pain is loose
We’ll never have the same taste
And that’s okay
Pour your boiling water into your mug with the tea bag or loose-leaf tea
You never got angry
When I poured hot water on my hand for the first time
You told me to learn and grow, to try again and again
I said the same thing to you, over
And over
And over again
Even now, while you're cleaning up your spill
I’ll keep making a cup of tea for you
Let the tea steep
Rotted white porch steps
Tables made for pretend
Painted desks and bedside tables
Kitchen counters and wicker trays
Tiled bathroom floors
All great places to let tea steep
Enjoy
In the morning, you make your cup of tea for work
I make mine for school
Stained cups, continuous use
A list of sticky notes, a specific mug,
Shower at 8 and makeup at 8:30
The most beautiful women all have routines
And filling the tea kettle for you
It is my favorite part of all.
No comments:
Post a Comment