Today I almost dove headlong into my tea.
Something about it – red berries and cinnamon –
Pushed my mind out of the sunless room
And into a hot amber swirl, tempting and sweet
As dead leaves, plucked at their peak, unfurled
And offered up to me their memories.
Screaming for me to run, to leave, to fly the cage-
My nose, close to scalding, poised over the steam,
Inhaled deep as though to break through the office crust
And live once more
In orchard spaces, in spice markets, in the open sun –
What sweet promises in that steam!
I stood stock still for a minute there, contemplating
Dunking my head under that heat
Giddy at the thought of dissolving into something beautiful
And evaporating into a roving, wild air.
Alas for practicality – my face too big for the cup.
The phone is ringing and the day progressed.
But that night I kissed my love
As though he were red berries and cinnamon.
And I pressed memory into flesh and lived, as demanded.