January Tea ’24

​From Jean K:

Our lives / shirts on the ironing board / tears of grief and gratitude / with water and whisk we blend them all / and sip

From Kate S:

Hurrying to a place where I yearn to slow down, to listen to the sounds of making tea and the jumbled thoughts in my mind.  By the last sip of tea my thoughts have fallen away to only what I really need, suddenly there is Light. How grateful I am to have hurried here to slow down.

From Sakina:

a welcome absence of sound / in my mind / watching the snow fall

From Anne W:

Grains of grief / Fill my tea bowl / New old friends from far away

From Tracy C:

Mom’s rough earth-worn hands
Warm his tiny fingers from wind.
Life new and aging.

From Unknown:

Peace, Harmony, Beauty all live within us at all times.
Drop into that and drink a bowl of Tea.
A beautiful green reminder..

From Siddiq:

They are the same tears / shed for grief and gratitude. / In the soul, they’re One.

From Gerow R:

Welcome what comes / Foolishness, wisdom / Spaciousness, chatter / Dissonance, harmony / Zoom, phone call, knock on the door / Bad news, worse news/  Grieving, pondering / Giggling, celebration / Welcoming what is coming.

From Chad O:

Coming back to tea / tasting old tea the new year / becomes fresh once again

From Jean K:

chasen head / a cosmic swirl of green and steam / dissonance falls away in the bowl.

From Kay H:

Bowing, guest and host. Planting seeds of harmony. Whisking peace, a green prayer offered.

 
 

September Tea ’23

  From Gerow Drinking tea/The shifting of the season’s light/ Illumines this double autumn. From Siddiq Approaching the gate / What can I look forward to? /  Never mind those thoughts!   From Deborah Summer to Autumn in 24 hours here; joining friends for...

August Tea ’23

  From Deborah MN First time at the library. Quite noisy and distracting. Fun though to join you even late.   From Karima Thank you soooo much for this beautiful tea time together! Must go.   From Kate I begin in uncertainty, slowly, my hands remember   From Jean...

REMEMBERING – The Old Lama Kitchen

Lama children on the steps of the Old Kitchen (1981).  Arielle, Asha (Bernard) and Jamil inside the kitchen (1981). Photos offered by Asha and Uwais Old Lama Kitchen - A few memories By Irit Umani, June 2023 When I think of Lama’s Old Kitchen, my mind almost...

June Tea ’23

  From Chad Being in NO tea/my body needing to rest/I become a guest. ( thank you) From Jean the glob, it sinks, it floats, it pulls us in, but like healing everywhere, just add a bit of hotwater, whisk and drink, and all of your cares will be gone. From Lesley...

May Tea ’23

From Gerow Purification... Meeting life as it is.... Acceptance orrecognition of the present moment... Respect.... Sense of freedom from "shoulds"   From Karen (who remembered this from another Lama Tea poet) Rains arrived... fire turns tosteam... renewal   From Deb...

April Tea ’23

    From Kathy While turning the compost pile at the retreat yesterday, I remembered this poemBy Sasaki Sanmi “Taking a break, resting my chin on the hoe, I sense the hoe’s strongattachment to this field” From Sakina holding each other gently / we share the...

March Tea ’23

From Ravi Austin through the universeeach space, each planet, each timeMatcha & me From Siddiq Hans von Briesen WE are found objectsWashed ashore in the sea of lifeGrateful to be alive. From Deborah MN Awe, the change of seasons, tea, remarkable and humbling32...

February Tea ’23

What courage, each year, has the treeto once again birth her leaves,her pink cherry blossoms or delicate dogwood petals,knowing in days, weeks or months,they will wither and fall to the ground.So, too, the crocus or tulip,who struggles through the frozen...

Preparation

Poems written by participants of Lama Tea, June 2, 2022 Prepare to face the moment, just how it happens. — Karen Higgins our attentive preparations join hands with the ringing clash of the unexpected past meets future two hands blessed and blessing — Lesley Maclean...

September Tea

Hopping bunny stops To sniff a morning glory Vining through lettuce — Tracy Cates Return to tea, Return to friends. Love and blessings everyone! — Kate Shane glowing jars of autumn bounty bunny madonnas crickets at my window it's autumn! — Kathy Lyons Hippity HOPPING,...