The Way of the Tea

The poem takes you through the ritual of the tea ceremony. If you have experienced one you will quickly recognize the many references. Photographed in Kyoto, Japan. Hope you enjoy it!

We enter through the teahouse door,

Where silence greets us, soft and pure.

Host and guest in reverent grace,

Meet soul to soul in a sacred place.

The tatami yields beneath our feet,

The air is calm, the world discreet.

Hidden rhythms now centuries old,

By whispered hands and ages told.

A sweet, three bites, to begin the dance,

As time dissolves in a ritual trance.

The whisk’s soft hum, a meadow’s tune,

The matcha blooms like early June.

I turn the bowl with humble care,

And lift it slow through fragrant air.

Three sips, a slurp, a quiet plea,

For peace, for grace, for harmony.

This fleeting moment, serene, complete,

Where past and present come to meet.

A meditative breath, then all is still,

My soul made tranquil by its will.