Sunday, March 29, 2015

Of Tea and Roses

https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/sol15-day29/
Two Writing Teacher's Slice of Life Challenge is winding down...we're almost through March!
And Poetry Jam has a prompt to write a poem with a coffee or tea theme.  I wrote a slice poem to coffee yesterday.  Today is it tea's turn!  Lots of bits of memories of my life are contained in this poem, some of which just started to make sense as I was writing it.  I was amazed at the connectedness and came to some realizations about myself as I wrote.  That felt good.
My Red Rose Tea figures - my grandmother had quite a few

Of Tea and Roses - Red and Yellow

I remember my mother saying
   I should not wear yellow
      it would not look good
         on me.

Nannie possessed
   glorious tea cups;
      after dinner they would
         hold Red Rose Tea
I chose from all her elegant cups
   and matching saucers
      the one to hold my tea;
Always my pick -
   her black teacup
      yellow roses inside
         gold trimmed
            with a matching saucer
               to hold your spoon
               and a sugar cookie.

When she died,
   I asked for her black teacup
      so I would remember
I knew I would be miserable
   if ever that precious cup broke;
      I forgave myself
         when it did

I still savor my memories
   of having tea with
      with milk
         and sugar
in her black teacup
      yellow roses inside
         gold trimmed
            with a matching saucer
               to hold your spoon
               and a sugar cookie.     
I think it’s actually
   prettier now.

Perhaps this teacup is why
   yellow roses are my favorite
      a single yellow rose was my wedding bouquet
         my babies were born on yellow rose linens
Perhaps it is why
   my new house will be yellow

I remember what my mother said
   I still do not wear yellow
      but it looks good
         on roses.

©Donna JT Smith, 2015

19 comments:

  1. The words that are said not only uplift us, but sometimes haunt us, don't they? Love how that color is wrapped into your life in various ways both wonderful & yet you still don't wear yellow. Those Red Rose tea figures are lovely. Did they come with the tea?

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    1. Yes, the words do stick. And I just came to realize this as I was writing it. And yes! These figures are STILL in boxes of Red Rose Tea and that is the tea I still drink to this day.

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  2. Memories are so often layered, bittersweet. Your writing shared the subtle flavors of sweet, wistful and sad in this beautiful slice.

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  3. Memories...lift us up when we feel down...bring us joy when we need it most. Such lovely memories you share here. Lipton just wouldn't do what Red Rose does for a cup up tea. Enjoy your tea and your memories.

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  4. truly glorious tea cups they are..so beautifully you've painted them with words and memories...

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  5. Beautiful. I love yellow roses as well. It is so interesting that as we write, we figure things out and see the connections. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. The lasting power of words...but you have the tea cup, its memories, and you still love yellow. Hooray for yellow houses that radiate good cheer!

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  7. The lasting power of words...but you have the tea cup, its memories, and you still love yellow. Hooray for yellow houses that radiate good cheer!

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  8. Wow. Fascinating how a teacup can mean so much more than a dish holding a drink, and a color can carry different feelings.

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  9. Well, I don't think a lot of people look good in yellow, do you? And really I have never seen a black teacup, but if I had I am sure it would be memorable indeed..especially with yellow roses inside. Very cool that your new house will be yellow. I think the color is GREAT...for a house! Smiles.

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    1. I found a picture of my teacup! I just may have to get myself a replacement for it. Never thought about searching for it online!

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  10. This is lovely, Donna. My mother-in-law was a tea drinker and had a huge collection of figurines from Red Rose tea. I'd forgotten all about them. Thank you for sharing your memories. (I love yellow, too.)

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  11. I enjoyed learning more about you and your family through this teacup. Thank you for posting twice.

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  12. what a lovely slice! I had never heard of Red Rose tea or their figurines before this---but I was so intrigued I've ordered some now! Wondering if the teacup in question was a Royal Albert pattern? That's the only one I've seen that is black with yellow roses. My pattern is Royal Albert moonlight rose.

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    1. I hope you enjoy your tea! It's an old fashioned tea made in Canada. My grandparents were from Newfoundland so brought their tea with them when they came to the States.
      I looked it up, and found the pattern! It is Royal Albert Tea Roses. Thanks for steering me in a direction! I'm going to see about adding a photo.

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  13. This is beautiful - so full of images and memories. And I love that you had some realizations about yourself as you wrote.

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  14. Yellow roses say so much and mean so much, really impresses home the wonder of living.

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  15. Yellow roses and daises were in my wedding bouquet. Yellow roses are my favorite but I am silly about cut flowers. Only have them in if the weather has ruined them in the garden.

    I love your tea cup. I am also delighted to find the name of the tea that had figurines. I have little dogs but did not know there were others. I LOVE the horses but I love anything that is a horse.

    Through my life I have had unsweetened tea and Sweet. Now I prefer it sweet and order it when we eat out. It is a shock when you are used to the other. Stirring sugar in after you have the glass is not the same taste to me. My favorite hot tea is a jasmine mix and every spring we harvest sassafras roots to make tea.

    Thanks for coming by to visit. I loved your poem.

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  16. Lovely poem, replete with memories, Donna. So many of the things we have in our homes are laden with sentiment, reminders of special people in our life, souvenirs of special places and aide-memoires of wonderful occasions. And that is why each and every little thing we treasure is so special for us, but not so perhaps for others...

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