<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><font size="4" class="">Tea</font><br class=""><font size="4" class=""> </font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">Inside this weathered pot,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">between the crack and stain,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">there are mountains,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">fields of green,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">and the brown remains of yesterday.</font><br class=""><font size="4" class=""> </font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">The hands of women</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">are in this pot,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">hands that cut and harvest tea,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">hands carrying children across their chests,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">and hands brushing</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">the brows of the dying.</font><br class=""><font size="4" class=""> </font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">Inside this weathered pot</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">there is the memory of tea,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">bitter, strong, and soothing,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">a thousand years in single sip,</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">the whole of humanity held</font><br class=""><font size="4" class="">in the simple cup.</font><div class=""><font size="4" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font size="4" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Marti Watterman</font></div></div></body></html>