For Ellie Hoov's Wonderland Challenge and Vocal's I Didn't Say It Out Loud Challenge.
Tea that's been poured can't be poured back- but we can find ways to enjoy it.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
They arrived with quivering hands,
Asking me to pour away their pasts.
But my tea is neutral--
Without sugar
It doesn't comfort.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
The guests want to redo--
Come with words they dare not speak
Their lives, asunder.
But my tea turns not with time--
It flows with it.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
Gloria came for a cup,
Head bowed, close to tears--
Pics of her better half--
Another--
Voice muted.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
Tim sat at the table,
Head in hands.
A bank balance--
Nil.
A zero.
That he dare not tell.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
I poured my tea,
Its taste raw--
Too subtle--
For Him.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
He tipped it
On the table.
It could not flow back
Into the cup.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
So he
Still sat
Head in hands.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
Ash arrived.
Angry. Misread
She sipped--
My flowing tea
And sat--
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
Relaxed.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
So my tea--
Not of tannin balm,
But forward pour,
That calms
With time.
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵 🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖🫖 🍵 🍵 🫖 🍵
Original poem by Michelle Liew. AI tags are coincidental.
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
Keep reading
More stories from Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin and writers in Poets and other communities.
Wild Card Weekend Recap: What Happens Now?
I think I figured out why I love Wild Card Weekend so much. It's because it's the first playoff anything of the calendar year. The NFL season starts in the fall, and once upon a time, the champion was crowned either on or slightly before New Year's. The evolution of the NFL schedule has resulted in the playoffs starting just into the New Year, and currently, the final week of the season falls on the first weekend of the New Year, with Wild Card Weekend coming a week after that. So yes, chronologically, the NFL's Wild Card Weekend serves as the first playoff anything of the calendar year.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 days ago in Unbalanced
Comments (3)
Beautiful work Michelle! 🌸
Well-wrought! Recalls to my mind The Guess Who song "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature". Just the sugar likely, but upon reading the lyrics, I see some resonance. More than anything, both your piece here and their song speak of necessary but meaningful changes!
Excellent poem…dang he didn't have to spill the tea.