every day unfurls as it must
–from Oolong, by Adrienne Su

Good evening, Pub Poets! Lisa here to welcome you to Prosery: the prompt where we write prose based on some given lines of poetry. This can be flash-fiction or creative non-fiction, but it cannot exceed 144 words in total (not including the title) and must not be poetry (no versification, line breaks, metre, etc.)

Before getting into the nitty gritty of today’s prompt, a reminder:

OLN LIVE for July will be on this coming Saturday, July 20th, from 10-11 a.m. EST (New York Time.) Come to the dVerse home page on Saturday and click on the given link that will take you to the live session. All are welcome across all time zones! Come to simply listen and meet poets from around the globe OR come and read a poem of your choice. We’re a very friendly bunch so we hope you’ll join us. Mark your calendars now!

I know I am not the only one reading this who enjoys drinking tea. Back as a child, there was only one kind of tea in our household to choose from, Lipton’s orange pekoe, pre-bagged, in boxes of 50-100 bags, and bought at a very reasonable price. With pekoe, you have to be careful not to steep too long or it becomes bitter. Another way to prepare was few bags put in a gallon jug and set out on the porch for “sun tea,” which could be easily diluted in a glass with ice cubes.

The next incarnation of tea for our home was green tea, also pre-bagged, and even more sensitive to being bitter if over-steeped.

It was a revolution of the best kind when Celestial Seasonings started marketing herbal tea. There was no more danger of bitter with the lovely chamomile, and Sleepy Time blends. The variety pack was an adventure to be enjoyed.

Fast forward many moons. I learned about looseleaf tea from a boyfriend. I learned about oolong when I started fermenting kombucha tea. I learned about rooibos tea somewhere along the way and found the best place to buy it at a reasonable cost. Same with peppermint. Tea has become a daily beverage for me, where a nightly hot pot of rooibos/peppermint is brewed, and what isn’t drunk hot in the evening is used the next day to sip as iced tea.

I admit that tea has become a way of life for me. Looking for a good line for the prosery prompt, Adrienne Su’s poem shows a fine appreciation for tea and shows that way so simply and beautifully — and how preparing and drinking it can be a model for living.

Oolong
By Adrienne Su

From strong to weak, a single cup
can carry me from waking up
to the mild hush of the bedtime snack.
Fresh hot water brings it back
from depletion, or threat of such.
What ancient genius gained so much
from roasting pieces of a shrub?
I watch it change, as daylight flags,
from strong to weak,
ending with the faded touch
of flavor that was once robust.
faintness helps the mind relax,
but part of me remains perplexed
that every day unfurls as it must
from strong to weak.

Poem copyright©2021 by Adrienne Su, “Oolong” from Peach State, (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021)

Now that you know a little about my tea drinking habits, it’s time to decide if you want to meet the challenge of writing prosery to Adrienne’s following line of poetry:

every day unfurls as it must

Here’s how to take part in the Prosery Prompt:
    • Write a piece of flash fiction or other prose up of up to or exactly 144 words, including the given line from the poem.
    • Post your Prosery piece on your blog and link back to this post.
    • Place the link to your actual post (not your blog url) on the Mister Linky page.
    • Don’t forget to check the little box to accept use/privacy policy.
    • Please visit other blogs and comment on their posts!