“Tea is Involved” by Clare Bolton
Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “Tea is Involved” by Clare Bolton, part of the League’s Fresh Voices program.
Tea is Involved
By Clare Bolton
“Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.”
—“Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo
When the throat is tight with grief, the body recalls fragments of memories at this table, tea served in brown-stained mugs.
Our children eat scones with cream, pears cut in delicate pieces.
Our dreams have tea with us and make small talk with our children.
Only sharing tea at this table can soothe the ache.
I sat by the hospital bed when I visited my mother. I wanted to make her tea. The doctor said she could not have it; too much caffeine was bad for her heart.
Her heart goes to sleep that night.
All the cups of tea I had with my mother. So good for our hearts. At this table, we celebrate the living and the dead. My mother is here. Tea is involved.
Copyright © Clare Bolton
Clare Bolton is a writer and Amherst Writers and Artists certified workshop facilitator living in Barrie, Ontario. Her writing soul is nourished by the “presence of wonder” found in the natural world, including the Canadian landscape, sacred stone circles, mystical dry-stone walls, and wild Irish gardens. Recently retired from working for over 30 years in the arts, Clare is devoting more time to studying and writing poetry. Clare is an Associate Member of the League of Canadian Poets.
Fresh Voices is a publication and workshop program created by and for the League’s associate members.
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