Loose Leaf Notes

I’ve attended her tea parties, helped edit some of her tea poems, and wrote a blurb for her new book A Tea Poet’s Journey.  As long time friends and lovers of tea, we share poetry and commiserate about the lack of knowledge on how to make a good cup of tea in our coffee obsessed society.   Katherine had two book signings over the weekend, at the Jacksonville Center and noteBooks.  Members of Floyd Writer’s Circle (including myself), will be reading with Katherine at her next reading and book signing at Lucy Monroe’s Coffeehouse in Christiansburg at 7:00 on September 17. Local poet Chelsea Adams (accompanied her husband Bill who will be playing music) will read from her chapbook Java Poems. To learn how to make a good cup of tea, read Katherine’s poem below:

Proclamation to the World About Tea

What care I of the laughs and casted doubts of those who,

when sitting in a restaurant,

hear me give express instructions

to pour the boiling water over my teabag

before its brought to me?

When not preparing this most illustrious brew

in my own kitchen,

I must have some influence

as to its drink ability!

After all, how distilled and contrived is my request

When compared to that of the Chinese Tea Sage and Poet

of the eighth century, Lu Yu?

His requirement was for the water for his tea to be draw

from the center of the Yangtze River.

He was known to reprimand his apprentices for

serving him a brew that he knew was drawn

from the sides of the river

and from the improper depth!

You see,

My own demand is but a shadow of preserving

such a time honored ritual.

I think Lu Yu might be

Quite a thirsty tea sage these days.

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Note: Read the story I wrote about Katherine’s new book for The Floyd Press HERE.