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Have a read of my poem ‘Twisted Tea’ first published in ‘For Ukraine: By Women of the World‘, a collection of powerful poetry and prose by all who identify as women about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led by Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.
I wrote the poem in 2022. ‘Twisted Tea’ is also one of the poems in my second poetry collection titled ‘Flat White, One Sugar‘, Ginninderra Press.
I hope you enjoy it.
Twisted Tea:
I splattered the last of my favourite
loose leaf tea all over the floor today,
when I lost my grip on the lid.
Twisted Oolong produced in Ukraine
it said on the label.
But it is a time of such sadness,
a spilt canister of loose leaf
is hardly worth mentioning.
So many shattered tea sets
buried in the rubble.
Ceramic pots and porcelain mugs,
smashed.
Fierce railroads bombed, buildings, farms.
Civilians tortured.
“Filthy scumbags,”
said President Zelensky.
“What else can you call them?”
I watch a woman sob on camera.
“Their soldiers are barbaric.
They don’t understand.
They are murderers.”
It is hard to consider sipping tea
without crying into the cup.
Will the small tea plantation
—out of the line of fire for now—
be spared?
I’m holding as tight as I can
to the thought that one day
we’ll be able to celebrate
with a pot of rare twisted oolong loose
leaf tea produced on a small farm
tucked away somewhere
in a corner of Ukraine.
Copyright 2024 Libby Sommer
Photo by koko rahmadie on Pexels.com
profoundly poignant … excellent Libby …
After Day One
I wished for the dust to settle
Then waited for rusted gunmetal
To mature into household kettles
Whistling hallelujah to new sunflower petals …
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Thank you, Ivor. And I really like ‘After Day One’. Well done you.
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You’re very welcome Libby
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It’s lovely to read this again Libby. Let’s hope that common sense starts to prevail.
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Thank you, Peter. Yes, fingers tightly crossed.
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All these degrees of faraway connections have such impact, when we have the time to acknowledge them.
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Wise words, Tash. Thank you.
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