Tea & Oblivion

...Sweet orange the potato pie

her frail hands held,

whipped cream

atop,

her black fingers

dressed in white gloves

for strong tea

after church...

...deep purple the sweet

mochi cakes

gracing the waiting park bench,

laid out

by a friend’s bright smile

and saddened heart...

...muted and spiced and fried

the yellow potato cakes

a third friend wrapped,

and she walked

head up

beyond the block

where she rarely left these days...

...and behold!

in the face of a festival afoot,

where the women doggedly

would not stop,

drunken fools

and hearts of malice throwing war paint

gleefully past them

into the air,

these women drank tea oblivious,

loving the textures of the

myriad sweet potato pies

they had made...

and drinking tea together...

in peace

awaiting the fools’ death...

The End