If you pour simmering water
Into your mug, shrouded in darkness,
Unable to see, you must learn
How to listen and hear
The water trickling down from
A kettle into the vessel.
Heat rising, climbing up
The porcelain. Watch it!
Reaching for the brim,
It warms your palm.
But it's willing to scald,
Happy to grab your hand,
And peel off your skin.
Watch it! Feel it!
The heat, the sound
Of the trickling water.
Or better make sure that
You pour it at a low
And constant flow rate,
Quickly solve the heat transfer equation
For your mug, and then
You'll know precisely when the heat
Reaches the brim; according to your
Assumptions and calculations,
The water level at this point
Must be 2 centimeters lower.
It's time to stop!
Good timing, indeed.
Now, let your tea bag swell
And color the water.
In the meanwhile,
Grope for the fridge,
Extract a lemon, cut a slice,
And drop the yellow translucent
Disc in your tea.
Enjoy!
P.S. You could have just
Switched on the light
And avoid all that hassle.
About the Creator
Andrei Z.
Overthinker.
Vocal & my relationship to publishing traditionally
Ever since my small writing beginnings, when I started writing on Vocal in February 2021, I had been in a truly terrible slump & funk when it came to my writing. I had so many unfinished projects, ideas, half finished manuscripts and first chapters that were going nowhere.
By Melissa Ingoldsby3 days ago in Motivation
Comments (6)
K, I love tea, and this was ringing truth in my memories. I've done this before, in semi-darkness, by the light of the electric kettle in my bedroom (I much prefer a gas fire, but renting makes one compromise one's values a bit). I think I'm not as precise as you; I went too low in the cup, lol. "Reaching for the brim, It warms your palm. But it's willing to scald, Happy to grab your hand, And peel off your skin." Don't scare me off! I think I've just found a new monster for my closet. Jeez!
I agree that switching on the light is too mainstream. Been done before. This tea of darkness is an untapped market. I love tea, and have actually done this before. My calculations weren't as precise, but somehow I managed. It's those strange moments of life that need to be immortalized!
Or used the light from the fridge since you were going to open it anyway.
Switching on the light is too mainstream! Pffft! Who even does that anymore? Lol! Loved your poem!
“Grope for the fringe” is a phrase I won’t be soon forgetting! 🤣 You crack me up. But seriously, I was looking for some deeper meaning and then the ending came… well played Andrei! 😁
Haha, love the ending. Great work!