26.8.10

a poem on thursday : tea


The first cup caresses my dry lips and throat, 
The second shatters the walls of my lonely sadness,
The third searches the dry rivulets of my soul to find the stories of five thousand scrolls. 
With the fourth the pain of past injustice vanishes through my pores.
The fifth purifies my flesh and bone.
With the sixth I am in touch with the immortals.
The seventh gives such pleasure I can hardly bear. The fresh wind blows through my wings
As I make my way to Penglai.*
Lu Tong (A.D. 618-907) Tang Dynasty.
(*Penglai, a mountain in China, was the traditional home of the immortals.)


This week the theme from Madeline Bea was 'orient'.  My mum sent me this poem at the beginning of the year and I really wanted to use it this week.  A pot of good tea is medicine for the soul I think.

8 comments:

elle said...

i love this!

justinegordon said...

very true, love the journal too

Diana Mieczan said...

Its a medicine for sure! Always helps me:)
Its beautiful..Kisses

britni @ Antika Moda said...

I totally agree! Tea is a beautiful thing. What a great poem :)

Ashley Sisk said...

I agree. Great poem.

gibknitty said...

a very lovely poem.

Jamie said...

Love it! What a fun direction for the prompt this week. I've fallen a bit in love with tea lately -although since it is summer in the Southern part of the US my tea lately has been of the iced variety

Maegan Beishline said...

Wonderful interpretation! Coming here is always like a warm cup of tea for me!