Poem: "Steep Tea"

Steep Tea

A Traditional Autumn Kasen Renga

Started: August 25, 2012
Finished: September 11, 2012

Written by Rachael Briggs and Jee Leong Koh


sunset steeps the world in red
red maple, apple, bee balm bloom
we sip jewel tea

the fire temple disappears
a watery moon

chili dip
on a seaweed cracker
thesis antithesis crunch

oral defence 
visiting mum in Syracuse 

cherry blossoms
soft artillery that liquefies in my hand
... or was it snow?

recategorized from 4C to 442 
swear unqualified allegiance to ... 

(le) poisson rouge 
Taka Kigawa 
Die Kunst der Fuge 

alien fauna of George Street
a kangaroo with gears for ears

you on the 
exercise bike, come share 
my yoga mat 

can we be Lion and Thunderbolt, Hero and King Dancer?
I'm in!

Mount Fuji 
the dance 
before the dance 

my skipping stone cavorts
between dust and river bottom

the moon 
cools her feet 
in a red basin 

tiptoe possum
stolen plum

hot off the press 
New Jersey doctor delivers 
new verse 

Rutgers
the Syracuse University of New Brunswick

impossible boys 
hardy, kind and smart 
chrysanthemums in winter 

musical theater in juvenile hall
we snuck a sunbeam through the metal detector

twigs and gray fluff
in the boarded-up window
also an egg

he's writing a book 
on women poets 

what is she knitting
in the seminar room?
a conclusive argument

loopy loop 
the clock rings 5 o'clock 

school's out!
Teacher sets down his no. 2 pencil
picks up a frisbee

this summer Bali 
next summer Kyoto 

Tetsuo Ishihara's confections
wax, flatiron, horsehair, foam bumper
garnish with kushi

strand of hair on the pillow 
drop of ice cream on his thigh 

cozy Sunday
breakfast in bed with my lover
give or take the breakfast

Jesus I love you 
no longer 

bitter moon sighs
over false Solomon's seal
no more berries

the first fall wind, he says 
a spirit, almost 

about to rain 
but did not rain on Labor Day 
no thunder either 

"I don't care if the sun don't shine"
she sings, heedless of tempo and key

overdub-dub-dub 
a woman in a tub 
The Singin' Rage 

goddess, sing the inflammation of my Achilles tendon
rowers are back on the Charles, and I tried to sprint beside them

let's run to the tidal basin 
tomorrow 
to view the cherry blossoms 

bring red cordial and the first wild strawberry
we'll invite the hummingbirds to lunch

Comments

David-Glen Smith said…
Some wonderful images. In particular, I liked:

impossible boys
hardy, kind and smart
chrysanthemums in winter

Interesting read overall.
5:34 PM
Jee Leong said…
Thanks for reading and your comment.
8:24 PM
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