Tea Dialects

Tea dialects

I flick on electric kettle
and offer chamomile, peppermint
Red Rose, Earl Grey, or green
pour steaming water over gauze pouches
into clear mugs that show off
emerging jewel colors.

Recall the ceremony of biscuits
and creamy English Breakfast on a tray
served in porcelain by an aunt
before breakfast in a Winchester cottage.

Dream of spicy chai, bought outdoors
just after sunrise from an Afghan tea-wallah
water heated over his smoky fire
poured from a copper teapot into a glass
and sipped through lumps of sugar.

Know that wherever I am
the warm, fragrant
steeped-to-perfection
language of tea
needs no interpretation.

© 2016 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved)

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Prompt – Inspiration
Last January my friend Laurel and I wrote ekphrastic poems inspired by photos in the Shadows and Silhouettes collection, one of The Big Picture series in the Boston Globe. This poem was in response to photo is #20.

Laurel’s poem “Tea for Two” prompted by the same photo is HERE.

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This April I’m celebrating National Poetry Month by posting some not-as-yet published poems from my files, along with what inspired them. If the prompt inspires you to write a poem of your own, you’re welcome to share it in comments. Whether you write or not, thanks so much for dropping by!

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This post is linked to Poetry Friday, hosted today by Joanne Early Macken at Teaching Authors.

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Dunsmuir Garden

Dunsmuir Garden (Surrey, B.C.) in late June. (Photo © 2016 by V. Nesdoly)

Dunsmuir Garden

Hollyhocks, apples,
lavender, lettuce, Swiss chard
love close company.
Friendships grow across the fence–
thriving in community.

© 2016 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved)

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I haven’t had a garden of pretties and edibles for some years now. We’re not allowed to grow food plants in the garden beds of our townhouse. But if I ever had a food garden again, I’d like it to be a plot in a community garden. There’s something about gardening in community that seems so right!

This post is connected to Poetry Friday, hosted this week by Penny Klosterman at her blog,  Blog-a-penny and her jots.

 

How to look for a church

Next to the beginning of the new calendar year, the beginning of September is the time we make the most changes in our lives. The kids start a new school year. All kinds of activities from kids’ soccer to adult classes get underway. If we’ve moved, we’ll be exploring a new neighborhood. If we’ve decided to start attending church or go to a different one, chances are good we’ll make that change in September too.

For those of us who have ever church shopped, we know how crucial those first visits to a church are. When we’re new, we notice things that long time attendees have surely become nose-blind to—from the cliquish clots of people in the foyer to the way the building actually smells.

What I was most sensitive to when I was visiting a new church with the thought of maybe making it our church home was, do these people seem friendly? Would we fit in? And, do I sense God in this place?

In September it’s probably a good idea for those of us who are church old-timers to be on the lookout for new people. Let’s notice them. Let’s greet them with warm smiles and welcome handshakes. Maybe we could even invite them for lunch, remembering how we would have appreciated that when we were new.

Elora Presbyterian Church – Elora Ontario (Photo © 2015 by V. Nesdoly)

My poem is a bit of advice to those newbies:

HOW TO LOOK FOR A CHURCH

Pretend you’re visiting
a family of distant relatives.

Of course you don’t expect
to get an invitation for lunch
and all your social needs met
by a bunch of third cousins.
And it doesn’t matter
that the stairs smell of mildew
and water stains the ceiling
or that amongst themselves
they’re way too happy and loud
and hug a lot.

What may catch you by surprise
even make you want to return
is how the Father you share
meets you there
puts His gentle but persistent hand
under your chin
to raise your face
and meet His eyes.

© 2015 by Violet Nesdoly

This post is linked to “Spiritual Journey Thursday” hosted by Holly Mueller at her blog Reading, Teaching, Learning where this week’s theme is “church.” Drop by and follow the links to what others have to say about “church.”

 

January Sunshine

Meadowlark photographed at Blackie’s Spit, White Rock B.C. in January 2007.

Thanks to Keri at Keri Recommends and Dorraine Bennet at Dori Reads for adding wonderful rays of sunshine to my day and, over the last little while, nominating this blog for a SUNSHINE AWARD!  That’s definitely the way to brighten up a foggy January!

Here are the (flexible) rules:

1. Acknowledge the nominating bloggers
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself
3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger creates for you
4. List 11 bloggers you nominate for a Sunshine Award.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer and let all the bloggers know they’ve been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)

11 Facts
– I’m the oldest of nine. I grew up on a farm. I love my garden more than it loves me. Chocolate and more chocolate please. I get into breakfast habits—current one: porridge and yogurt with fruit. I despise buying shoes. We got our first computer in 1991. In another life I was a medical transcriptionist.  I hate being cold. I crochet when I watch TV. I love the sport of curling (watching not playing).

11 Questions from Keri / Dorraine (I picked some from both)

1. A book you wish you had written?
Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca – that is one cool book!

2. Next place you hope to visit?
Dawson Creek, B.C. That’s in the northeast of our province (where it is winter in earnest).  I’m planning to visit in February to help with the grands when my daughter’s little one is due.

3. Early bird or night owl?
Early bird.

4. Comedy or drama?
Drama

5. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind?
No music or if I do, it can’t have any words. Music with lyrics is way too distracting for me to write by.

6. Best thing your mother taught you?
It’s okay to make a mess when you’re creating something.

7. What do you do first thing in the morning?
Turn on the coffee (which my husband has set up the night before) and shower.

8. When you’re in a crowd, do you find a corner or work the room?
Corner—trying to get better at working the room.

9. Something you like to cook/bake?
Cookies—especially chocolate chip.

10. Beach or mountains?
Beach.

11. What makes you smile?
British humour.

Passing the Sunshine Award on to these bloggers because they brighten my day!

Kiwiskan – at Kiwisoar
Ellen Grace Olinger at Poems from Oostburg, Wisconson
Catherine at Catherine Johnson
Magical Mystical Teacher
Joy Acey at Poetry for Kids Joy
Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading
Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup
Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids
Diane Mayr at Random Noodling
CallingForth
Mary Waind at Beech Croft Tales

And now here are 11 questions from me if choose to play along (please don’t feel obligated).

1. What’s your favourite ice-cream?
2. What was your biggest childhood fear?
3. What’s your hobby?
4. Are there any skills you had as a kid but have lost?
5. What’s your favourite weather?
6. Do you write first drafts with pen or at the keyboard?
7. Were you happy with your name as a kid? If not, what did you wish it was?
8. Do you prefer reading books or watching movies?
9. What’s your favourite section in the library?
10. What’s your favourite city? Why?
11. In sports are you a player or spectator?

 

Tea-a-tete

“An offer of tea” – Tabatha Yeatts – Photo from Flickr.

I steep in your presence
your interest draws from me
thoughts I had stashed

We brew a future
infused with possibility
fragrant with hope

cosy in each others company
our dreams in the pot
at the end of Celestial

it is time to uphold ceremony
and become a party
to our unique blend

© 2013 – Violet Nesdoly

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The lovely tea poster from Tabatha Yeatts (a perk of being part of the poem swaps Tabatha has organized) brought to mind this poem I wrote a few months ago.

Drinking tea with a friend or lover seems like a good activity for the cold and dreary days of January (dreary here, anyway… where there is no snow, but it has rained the creek full of water that, by the way, is the colour of tea with milk).

This poem is submitted to Poetry Friday, hosted this week by the always full-of-surprises Renee La Tulippe at her blog No Water River.

Coffee or tea poems are also welcome at Tweetspeak Poetry, where January’s  challenge is to write a poem about coffee or tea. Post in the comments.