The Teapoets
Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.” ~ Catherine Douzel
It was our first official Teapoet tea party. Six of us were in attendance. There were freshly baked scones still warm from the oven with lots of choices of what to spread on them; crème fraiche, maple butter, marmalade, and honey kiwi fruit. There were three kinds of loose leaf tea to pour in the one-of-kind china cups with matching saucers. The fresh cherries were alluring, and the pineapple served with pine nuts was warmed.
Some of the poets represented whose books we read from included Stanley Kunitz, Billy Collins, Julia Alavarz, and Maya Angelou. One woman brought Zen cards. We each drew a card and read to each other, like reading our fortunes from cookies.
Another woman brought a book called “Talking to the Sun: an Illustrated Anthology of Poems for Young People.” She read the title poem by Frank O’Hara, which began: The Sun woke me this morning loud and clear, saying, Hey, I’ve been trying to wake you up for fifteen minutes. Don’t be so rude, you are only the second poet I’ve ever chosen to speak to personally … After reading, she passed the book around and we took turns getting lost in the art displayed in it. Later that day at home, I did a search for Frank O’Hara on the internet and learned that he died at the age of forty when he was run over by a dune buggy while he was sleeping on the beach.
One among us had just returned from the latest Washington DC Peace march, and so she filled us in with all the details. Besides politics, we talked about our personal lives. The names of books and some quotes mentioned were worth writing down, such as this Zen saying: “Don’t seek the truth, just cease to cherish opinion.” 
As usual, I scribbled in a small notebook as we talked. The woman sitting next to me scribbled too. I joked that I had never met another person who took as many notes me. We shared my pen, but I let her keep it as a souvenir when it was time to go.
Time to go? Nearly four hours had gone by. They passed with such ease that we didn’t notice. We had tea-partied through several phone calls and well past lunch. But who could still be hungry? Besides all the lovely treats we indulged in, the poetry was rich and the conversation fulfilling.
January 28th, 2007 10:08 pm
I would have liked to have been at the DC peace march myself.
What a wonderful day that sounds like Colleen!
January 29th, 2007 7:03 am
Oh sounds such a lovely teapoet party the scones and spreads oh how Yummy.
Time flies when your having fun.
January 29th, 2007 9:59 am
“teapoet”….very cute! sounds likea wonderful time!
January 29th, 2007 10:58 am
I love tea in lovely teacups and saucers. I love tea party with the girls. Good for the soul.
January 29th, 2007 11:36 am
This sounds like such a fun gathering. I love the idea of a teapoet party. The older I get.. the more I appreciate tea and the lovely cups it comes in.
January 29th, 2007 12:20 pm
What a great day. Don’t you just love gathering with like-minded people? It makes for such a good-hearted feeling.
January 29th, 2007 2:07 pm
Tea Party Poetry Club..love it! I think I could round up enough friends for something like this.
I was just reading about the peace march.
Susan
January 29th, 2007 3:31 pm
I love tea parties. I love the beautiful cups and I love you!!
January 29th, 2007 4:24 pm
I so want to come! This sounds like an absolutely delightful gathering for “Poetea”!
I love the fortune type thing too!
I used to host this Victorian Tea Party in my back yard garden every summer and I’d honour my grandma by getting out all the fancy teacups I had inherited from her. I made tons of goodoies and put them out on old china plates. Everyone would come in dresses, hats and gloves!
It was so neat.
January 29th, 2007 11:32 pm
Usually, I drink coffee. But there are times when nothing but a cup of tea will suffice. That sounds like a great group!
P.S. Can you tell me why Bloglines never lets me know when you have a new post?
January 29th, 2007 11:43 pm
My mouth is watering for those scones and those cherries….
Sounds like everyone had a lovely time… OK, now I want some tea from the Russian Tea Cafe in Chicago.
January 30th, 2007 12:38 am
Colleen, I can’t remember if it preceded the move to new blogger or not. Your blog is not the only one that happens with. It is supposed to bold the name of a blog that has been updated, so you’ll know which ones to click open. Sometimes it bolds blogs that I have already read and other times, it doesn’t bold and then I skip reading. It makes me frustrated, because the whole point of having Bloglines is the ease of seeing which ones you don’t have to bother opening. BAH!
Yes charley horses are the same. I have them in my feet all the time, especially when I have to stand up for hours on end, when I am working. So far, the soap is helping (or something is). Even if the soap is a placebo, if it works – who cares?!
Judy
January 30th, 2007 12:58 am
What a lovely beginning to a new tradition.
January 30th, 2007 2:47 am
What a fabulous Tea Party, Colleen. It sounds ‘rich’ in every respect that one hopefully cares about. Fine Tea, Fine China, Fine Food, Fine Poetry and last but not least, Fine Company! Who could want more than that, I ask you? This was an enviable afternoon, Colleen.
January 30th, 2007 1:00 pm
Oh, this sounded like such fun. And love the tea cups.
I agree with Deana….sure wish I’d been at that march in DC!