Hibiscus Tea
a poem
I remember sitting at the top
of the garden on a cold evening
when we first moved in.
The hibiscus in bloom,
a blue so bright
I felt my eyes strain,
I had no doubt
The hibiscus flower’s pink petals, like
soft, wet cotton,are plastered to her skin,
frothy, full of moisture, a pouty mouth filled
with the scented oil
of its delicate tongue.
Her hair is combed out
in the style of the hibiscus,
the petals of the flower
curls and winds about her head,
like the way her feet touch
the waters of the bay.
The clouds in the sky today are
like the hibiscus petals, thick and green,
overcast, yet, there is a hint
of blue in the distance, almost like
an idea of hope.
My love was blooming,
a blue-mauve so pale
I was amazed
I could see it
from my bed
as the wind blew
the flowers off
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Into a darkening room
I felt no less than happy
to be at home
with someone
Who knew
what my life had been
in the cold light
of other days
And I could feel my heart
beating for the first time
like a drum
And it wasn’t a hard
and lonely place to find
I still hear it now
as I sit
and sip a hibiscus tea
And feel my pulse
beating fast
and then slow
and even
Even as I recall
this feeling
of a heart
beating slow
And I smile
with love
And drink my hibiscus tea
with pleasure
After the last breath of the hibiscus tea,
the light that slips through your fingers like
sugar crystals or as if you have been
the only person on earth to witness a miracle.
The only memory you could keep
for yourself.
