Tea Time

I really love my cup of tea

made freshly in a pot

I take it with a splash of milk

and like it really hot.

I’m desperate to have a cup

when I’ve just been out

that welcoming gentle gurgle

pouring richly from the spout.

I watch the rich brown colours

swirl and mingle in the cup

then trap its warmth between my palms

and slowly lift it up.

That sound of cup on saucer

the tinkling silver spoon

that invitation to another cup

that cannot come too soon.

To energise, to unify

or console with genteel sips,

to break down social barriers

with a slurp upon your lips.

Glinting conversation

a flowing harmony –

or a perfect displacement activity

when everything stops for tea

as the flavours of Sri Lanka,

Kenya or Assam

rescue me from where I’ve been

and remind me who I am!