T e a  C e r e m o n i e s

by Carla Anderton-Sealy


We used to have tea ceremonies
First thing in the morning
And you would bring me my cup
And I would be grateful for its warmth
Just as I was grateful for yours
We used to watch the religious channel
To the tune of secular music
And I would pray to the god
That neither of us believed in, really
That I could have faith in you
We used to have banal discussions
In dimly lit smoky bars
And all you ever wanted from me was
For me to look directly into your eyes, but –
I couldn’t- There were too many tears in mine
We used to watch the news in jest
Poking fun at world events
And I thought to myself that
If you knew the real news about me
You would poke fun at me, too
We used to have an instant family
Just add water and voila!
I could become what you wanted
Too bad I forgot to boil the water
The one ingredient I lacked