Sunday, July 8, 2012

Chinese Tea Kettle


Tilt down the spout, slowly: one, two, three,
Till – drip! Out pours the strangest green tea,
Sniff, whiff and sniffle… Then chant softly with me
Right over the vapors: Harmony… Peace… Longevity…
From carpets to scarves, from pearls to silk
And lotions that turn your skin whiter than milk
In search for a bargain, ignoring the aura
Leave no stone unturned in the Great Wall of China
In the depths of Ming Tombs, the dead come alive
To pay their respects to all who arrive,
All who carry massive nick-knacks, ‘Knee high!’
And wave like royalty aboard the rickshaw
The emperor had the most delectable feast
His concubines wore nothing but perfumes of the East
Perfumes that would drive you to madness, oh Lord!
Perfumes that I can no longer afford
Every place, every name, every phrase you could mind
In my notebook I write every thing of every kind
Summer Palace in front, Temple of Heaven behind
I has little choice but to smile and unwind
Shanghai Pork? Too succulent! Peking Duck? Too lame!
So are other dishes of questionable fame.
With a rare taste for the finest, the choicest cuisine
I eat practically nothing – except for ice cream.
My rhyme may be clunky; my line may be long,
I may have said something entirely wrong,
If you find it offensive, do with me as you please
With a single exception: never serve me Chinese!
Now sniff, whiff and sniffle… Then chant softly with me
Right over the vapors: Harmony… Peace… Longevity…

10 comments:

  1. I'm not a poet, but I got a chuckle out of your poem. It's a nice way to start my day.

    http://purrfect0tale.lifeblog.com

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  2. I once joined co-workers for what I thought was "Chinese" food. Indeed it was, but not the American kind. I didn't like it that day, but now, many years later, we spend Chinese New Year at my daughter's friend's Chinese Restaurant, sampling all kinds of authentic dishes...while anticipating the dancing lions and firecrackers.

    What inspired this whimsy?

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    1. What a great way to sample this cuisine, Britton...

      This was inspired by a trip to China several years back, which was a fascinating experience in every way! There is so much to see and learn--but we grew tired within two days of eating Chinese meals, twice a day. For us, the flavor was great if you take it as an exotic change, but the repetition just killed the appetite, for some reason. And so, we had to resort to surviving the rest of the trip on ice cream. Who's complaining? This was not a bad choice for us!

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  3. very creative & playful ..unlike your style, yet wonderful..a different dimension of your writing. I really love this stanza
    "The emperor had the most delectable feast
    His concubines wore nothing but perfumes of the East
    Perfumes that would drive you to madness, oh Lord!
    Perfumes that I can no longer afford"
    the poem reminds of living on steamed rice with ketchup & coriander while touring Xingjiang along with my daughter for her dance performances :-)

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    Replies
    1. Trying to stretch the envelope any way I can... We all have some playful, happy moments and some that are grave...

      Ah! Your daughter is a dancer! She took your artistic strain and turned it into a different form...

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  4. This was a fun morning read. Thank you.

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  5. The people not reading your blogs are missing out a lot of quality contents.
    tea kettles reviews

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Ian! You're right... Let your friend know about this blog!

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