Merel and I don’t meet as often as we should
But when we do it is always
To peer into the world inside our cups
We drink a potent Turkish brew
Kibbitzing of kids and travels
Between strong bitter sips
Until all that remains is a rich paste
That yearns to reveal the answers
To questions large and small
We invert our vessels
And place them on their saucers
Eager for the remains of our elixir
To coat the porcelain walls
With cloudy mocha veils
That we lift with gentle stories
Of imagined deer and whales
And even the Eiffel Tower
As we study together our hopes and dreams
We find clarity and joy in homely rituals
That renew the warm grounds of friendship

Poet Marianne Tefft daylights as a Montessori teacher in Toronto, Canada. Her work appears online, in print and on air in North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Her poems have been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. She looks forward to releasing her third poetry collection, Rainbow Country, later this year.