Poem of the Day

This was posted in teafortwo this morning and I really like it. It’s especially appropriate because I’m going to have tea and breakfast with the ladies this morning.

Sander and Tea
By James Stone Goodman

When I met Sander, 1970,
he asked me,
would you like some tea?
No, I don’t want any tea.

Sander’s folks
had me to dinner,
Sander’s Dad Moishe at one end of the table,
Sander’s Mom Roz at the other.
Would you like some tea,
Sander said.
No thanks.

Roz’s table was a well set table.
The well set table is an ordered life
it has a sense of principle
blended with design,
at the center of such a table
is a meticulous beauty,
the particulars significant
because they open
onto universals.
How about some tea, Sander said.
No, I don’t want any tea.

I went away and hid out for five years.
When I returned,
Sander said, want some tea?
No, I don’t want any tea.

Sander and Susan moved.
I visited them in New York City,
would you like some tea?
No, I don’t want any tea.

Sander and Susan moved to Arizona,
I came to visit.
Would you like some tea?
Not yet, I said.
Then a daughter came along.

I came to see her,
Sander said,
do you want some tea?
Yes, I said,
I would like to try some tea.

Then Susan died.
Do you want some tea –
Sander said.

Lots of tea, I said.
I want tea and tea trays and pots and kettles.
I want tea from China and India and that tea from Viet Nam –
I want that.
On Sunday I want Assam tea.

The monkey picked tea from the mountains of Fujian –
I want that.
And those teas from Africa?
I want those.
The first flush from India,
and the second flush,
how ever many flushes it takes,
and the wooden spoons and the ivory scoops,
I want them.
The jade cup with the hat on it,
I want that.

That’s why I keep coming back.
I want that tea.
I want it and I want it now.

That’s why we all come back,
to hand over something fine,
something delicate,
something meticulous and beautiful,
something we all want even those of us who run away,
we want some tea,
the whole world wants some tea,
here is a shipment,
we came for it.

That’s why we come back,
because of the tea,
because we know
just how good
this tea is.