T

 

[T]

 

What’s the tea? We want to know everything, now

if only to say typical, truly?, tough luck, too much, it’s all talk.

The see-saw of so-and-so’s tribulations make small talk,

judge and jury behind our eyes guessing who, why, how.

Unremarkable news turns into topic of all remarks

storms in teacups, a torrent of half-truths and theories:

tantalising, well-timed, tomfoolery!, tragic, too too teary.

Glad it’s not us, tracking the tale from light into dark.

 

And which tea then’s it to be? A friendly brew,

a careful stir, apostle spoon, slow boat to China?

Or something stronger, sharp with wedge of bitter lemon,

unstrained, a well of well well well, and who knew? Who?

Or lacking entirely milk of human kindness? Finer

than rising steam, the stew of our little demons.  

 

T (May)

T is for Tricks by Internet Moscow Circus. T is for Twitter, daily feed of self-betrayal. T is for Tangerine, an exceptional shade of hair dye. T may be for Tribulation, a word in the Bible. T is for Truths and Untruths. T is for Treasury, somewhere with a lot of money. T is for Target, Korea, Syria, shitholes like that. T is for Temptation, a learning exercise for leaders. T is for Tag-Team in the land of the Prophet. T is for Tragi-Comedy. T is for Trial by Internet Due Process. T is for Termination. This too will pass.

T (February)

T is for Thursday, upright on calendar, certain as February. Events aren’t so organised, conversations chain react. A difficulty and their words take up expanding analysis, sting later with why and what to do. A president finds the world’s a mess, so what’s with him? A virus has struck home, no name for said virus, call it Seven Days. Nor can things decide to be hot or cold. U is for Unsleeping, where the spiritual exercise of abstinence, beatitude, calm, discernment, empathy has gone round past zeal a few times, then sleep so deep even dreams don’t intervene with pseudo-Thursday.

T (September)

T.- Listening to the stranger is a good place to start. You hear words and sounds coming from their being, not yours. You cannot put your own agenda onto the stranger, if you listen with attention. You make no contract, the only giving is your attentive time. Analysts get paid by strangers to interpret wandering words. Counsellors monitor what needs doing next with September symptoms. They want it down to a T. First name basis changes relationships. We have history, needs and expectations that change how we hear. Even anonymous initials define familiarity. It can never be the same. –P.