Sunday, 11 July 2010

The Poetry Bus Goes 'ON'

This week's outing is in the very capable hands of Mr Dominic Rivron of this parish, who set us a challenge to write a poem on - literally, ON - something.  The challenge was set here.  The other passengers' tickets may be inspected here.

I decided to put my poem on an old kettle.




It's just water,
Wet leaves, milk.
Maybe sugar,
Maybe not.
It's just you,
The tea, and me.
Maybe talking,
Maybe not.

It's not Keats but there are limitations to what can be said on the side of an old kettle.  Maybe we've found a new art form - 'write-on' poetry.

24 comments:

  1. I like it! I remember the first time I had hot tea - it was on a British Caledonia flight to London in 1986. I asked for it with milk because when I was a child we used to be given sweet iced tea mixed with milk (to make it healthier, presumably). I liked it a lot & continued to drink hot tea while I was in Zambia. And then I came home & was back in the land of iced tea & stopped.

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  2. Good one! I'm lost for words! I think I'll go and have a cup of tea... :)

    Been getting into rooibos ("red bush") tea here (a common brand name for it is "Tick Tock" tea).

    I'll stick it on the list.

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  3. I'll have mine with milk and sugar please! Nicely done ....

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  4. Ah Tea best drink of the day, Argent. And I'll have mine, black with one sugar lump and in your company if you don't mind.
    Great poetry brew - love it :)

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  5. I mention tea a lot in poems...too much almost (duo of tea poems back in Oct 09 if you're interested). So glad to see another one here. It's a serious business, the making and drinking of tea.
    x

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  6. Right on, write on! Nice one!

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  7. Hot tea! Thanks- I'm a whiny kettle today- I cannot get any pictures to upload...

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  8. Cool! Just sugar for me, please.

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  9. aw I love this. I'm a tea addict and want to go scrawl on my kettle right now.

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  10. Ireland and Britain drink the most tea in the world. So, why are there not more poems about it?? Great poem Argent. Feel major need for a cuppa right now.

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  11. Tea and talk and companionship, what more is there to life
    thanks for sharing
    cfm

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  12. The space restriction can lead to great things, and I think it has done so here, brilliant warm poem, yum

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  13. Dear Delusion of Adequacy: Really love your teapot spoutings! It is lovely and so nice to wake up to this original verse from the leaves to the cup a full brew of originality! Creative +++. Excellent! Love it! Chai, Green or Red Rose...or surprise me with something....Ah...so lovely! Thank-you dear!

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  14. I really like this. Who needs conversation when you have a cup of tea?

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  15. Now there's an idea. A brilliant one, if I may say so.
    You do have the most outlandish ideas, and they always come off.

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  16. Thanks to you all for reading and commenting...

    Bug - We brits forget that not everyone enjoys a cuppa the same way we do. I used to have a thing for iced lemon tea years ago but I haven't had it for ages.

    Dominic - I've tried rooibus tea but the best one is honeybush - which you can't seem to get for love or money over here.

    Helen - Coming right up!

    Gewi - Thanks. I like mine black sometimes - if it's Earl Grey especially.

    Rachel - You're right: tea is a serious business. I was thinking of trying to do something clever about the japanese tea ceremony but time and brains ran out.

    Jinksy - Cheers!

    Izzy - I like that phrase 'whiney kettle'. Must use it.

    Nanu - Another black tea lover, eh? How sophisticated are we?

    Jessica - If you scrawl on your kettle, be sure to use a dry-erase marker or something - unless, of course, your poem is too wonderful to wash off.

    CFM - You've hit the nail on the head there.

    Niamh - Thank you most kindly!

    Chiccoreal - I have a range of fruit infusions too if you like, or peppermint...?

    Peter - Companionable silence cannot be rated highly enough.

    TFE - Cheers. I have left it on. It's an old kettle so when it goes to its long home, I wonder what they'll make of it there.

    Friko - Thanks. This idea was more desparate than anything else. I realised at the last minute I hadn't done anything for the bus, so needed something quick.

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  17. Like this a lot - lovely poem, perfectly placed - brilliant, I say!

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  18. This would make a great invitation. You should print copies of the photo.

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  19. It's just good,
    just the job,
    no maybe not!

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  20. PF - Thanks! Was a bit rushed but I'm still quite pleased with it.

    Karen - An invite is a smashing idea. I'd want to re-do the scribbly writing though, LOL!

    Dave - Or maybe not, indeed!

    Thanks for the kind wors people!

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  21. Nothing like a cup of hot tea to smooth out the wrinkles of a day. Thanks for this!

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  22. It's just struck me that my note is open to misinterpretation. No uncertainty was intended. The last line should have read: ' No "maybe not"!'

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  23. i managed to miss the bus this week, but i like your kettle poem a lot

    Mmmmm, tea...

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