A Taste of the Tour

Randy Foster and I captured some footage at our last stop on the "A Poet and a Politician Walk into a Coffee Bar" tour.  Although our beverage banter heats up when Randy, a master mocha mocker, and I, a loyal latte lover, discuss coffee, we agree that Earl Grey tea deserves a poem of its own.  Click here for a taste of our ode to Earl Grey.

Bookings a-Brewing

Randy Foster and I are currently booking the fall leg of our A Poet and a Politician Walk into a Coffee Bar... tea and coffee poetry tour.  Stay tuned for details!  You can also follow the tour as it unfolds and view photos, updates and more here.

(orange passion fruit)

orange, passion fruit;

jasmine green tea -- like sipping

sunshine in a cup

Confessional

I have a taste
for the dark side.
And my two-fisted
drink preparation
gives me away
every time.

I make it a double,
now that one
simply doesn’t
cut it anymore.
My tolerance has
increased, as has
my thirst.

Does that make me
a junkie,
an addict?
Perhaps.

I’m not ashamed
of my need
for that extra shot.
It makes the day
tolerable,
worth living,
and I’m not afraid
to admit it.

You want me to
own up to the truth
for my
own good?

Well, fine.
I’ll shout it
from the rooftops.

I’VE TAKEN TO STEEPING
TWO TEA BAGS AT ONCE!

Except for Earl

Tea is subtle and understated.
It's quiet and underrated.

Except for Earl.

Although Earl Grey doesn't
bust down your door like his
cousin Joe, he does knock
pretty hard.

He tips his hat when you
come to the door and,
before you even say so
much as "hello," he's
inside your house
sitting on your couch
chatting about the morning news.

Earl is chipper, but serious.
He is a man of the world,
sophisticated, up to date
and timeless, all at the same
time. He's a philosopher,
a morning man.
He's the kind of guy
you want on your side.

Today Will Be Okay

I've come to depend on
my morning cup of tea.
I survive interstate traffic
and my own stringent
a.m. primping routine
each morning without a
single drop of caffeine.
When I finally get to
the office, I need to know
that this day is worth all
the effort it took to get
here -- moisturizer, makeup
and mousse, cleaning up
cat vomit and dodging
suicidal drivers and
scraping bubble gum off
of my heel in the parking lot.
I need to know that
everything is going to
be alright. I rely on that
first steaming cup of
comfort with a kick.
I need its warmth and
strength to focus on
the tasks ahead.
And each day I accept
the gift of the black brew,
I know that -- come paperwork,
paper cuts or pervasive
newspaper headlines --
everything is going to be
okay -- at least for today.

Steaming

spent four minutes
with a spoon and a knife
squeezing every drop out of
the stringless PG Tips tea bag
only to watch it plop back in the cup
in an instant
with a splash

(I look to the bottom of)

I look to the bottom of
my tea cup and wait
for the webcast to end.

morning tea

like the allegiance of a faithful friend
like the familiar hand of a lover
like the loyalty of a family pet

Nightdreaming

I want to stay up all night
and read books -- a book
about loving homosexuals,
one on how to help people,
and my poetry prof's latest
collection. I want to forget
about showing up at the
office at 8 a.m. and read
deep into the night, with a
strong cup of black tea with
sugar to start, followed later
by a mixed-berry-flavored
green tea, and filtered water
for a chaser. I want to read
and drink the hours away, full
of the wonder of words and
those who craft them.

© Amy E. Hall 2007

(Monday morning smile)

Monday morning smile:
fresh hot water on the Bunn
Omatic burner

© 2007 Amy E. Hall

(a steeping black brew)

a steeping black brew
my favorite morning mug
nectar of the leaves

© 2007 Amy E. Hall

Good Use of Time

I read a poem during the
three minutes my
tea was steeping.

© 2007 Amy E. Hall

Tea by Invitation

Tea is a lady's drink.

There's a quiet strength inside those leaves.
Tea does not assault the body, like coffee.
Rather, it washes over the system, by invitation,
lending what is desired -- be it flavor, repose or
wakefulness. Tea is a song of celebration,
a song of comfort, a song of centricity.

Tea is a lady's drink.

© 2007 Amy E. Hall

(I love this morning)

I love this morning --
tea, toast, cheese, apple
and poetry to start the day.

© 2007 Amy E. Hall

The Day After Friday

I love waking up on
Saturday morning with
no agenda, no meetings,
no deadlines, no traffic.
I love waking up to a
day of possibility --
drinking my first cup
of tea at my leisure,
spending time with my
thoughts and writing
them down, looking
out my window and
watching nature awaken
to this Saturday, to this
glorious day of possibility.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

(morning tea after)

morning tea after
the morning rain
drop after drop

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

(morning omen)

morning omen:
the tea bag -- floated
upside
-- down

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

(How to Know If You Love Tea)

How to Know If You Love Tea:
You savor the drip
on the outside of the mug.

© 2006 Amy E. Hall

Teatime

every sip
every drip
a present
to yourself

watch it steep
inhale deep
stealing moments
for yourself

black, green, white
pure delight
with a friend or
by yourself

© 2006 Amy E. Hall