Melancholia Blend (Poem)

I work as an alchemist

To blend my tea.

I start with aged shou puerh

to remind you of the past,

whether yours, the earth’s, or simply that of tea.

The specifics are not my concern.

I add toasted rice-brown and wild-

to add contemplative notes.

Think about what you will.

Then some cacao nibs and bits of candied ginger

(not too much)

for a bit of sweetness,

because life can be harsh.

But this is a tea true to my life,

so I also add at the end,

vetiver oil and aloeswood oil and cayenne pepper flakes.

Because dry and bitter and heat

must also play a part in this tea song.

Listen to Leonard Cohen when you sip it

and perhaps read Albert Camus.