Swetha Amit’s “The Tea Prayer” is a meditation on the routine and ritualistic simplicity of making and savoring a cup of hot green tea. Here at The Dewdrop, we are no strangers to ritual and meditative character of preparing tea, and we’ve published a handful of poems over the years that delve into that practice. Swetha’s poem, however, is among the more luscious and descriptive yet. “‘The Tea Prayer’ emerged from a ritual prompt at the Kenyon Review Writer’s Workshop, where we were asked to pick a mundane activity, and present it in a beautiful manner,” Swetha explained to The Dewdrop.
The Tea Prayer To wake when all is quiet before the electric bright rays of dawn seep in through the window To enter the kitchen grip the glass kettle fill it with colorless liquid watch it bubble on the stove To clasp the green box release a little tea bag from the claustrophobic Matcha case gently tear the upper section To pour the steamy liquid into an ice grey color mug dip the padding of dried leaves watch the water turn golden green To smell the aroma arouse your sensory nostrils let the steam caress your face when you close your eyes To take a small sip let your fiery tongue savor the taste not so sweet not so bitter before it slides down your throat To clasp your palm around the mug fingers locked in a tight embrace a little pause, a little solitude your lips locked at the brim of the mug To continue this discipline so invigorating, so ecstatic almost like an orgasm kickstarts your senses every day it gets better and better every day its harder to do without it.
Swetha Amit
Author of her memoir A Turbulent Mind-My Journey to Ironman 70.3, Swetha Amit is currently pursuing her MFA at University of San Francisco. She has published her works in Atticus Review, Oranges Journal, Gastropoda Lit, Amphora magazine, Grande Dame literary journal, Black Moon Magazine, Fauxmoir lit mag, Poets Choice anthology, JMWW journal and has upcoming pieces in Drunk Monkeys, Agapanthus Collective, Full House Literary, and The Creative Zine. She is one of the contest winners of Beyond Words literary magazine, her piece upcoming in November. She is also, alumni of Tin House Winter Workshop 2022 and the Kenyon Review Writers’ Workshop 2022.