Author's Tea

There I am: bottom, fourth from the left

Where is the cat? We don’t know where she’s at

We recited in unison, pigtails waving as we glanced back and forth in question

Oh where did she go? Does anyone know?

Fluttering hand motions performed from memory

Let’s ask the walking hat.

A puppy whose hair was so flowing, 

We recited in earnest. 

there really was no means of knowing which end was his head,

Soft cheeks puffed with smiles. 

Once stopped me and said

I knowingly grin, that's how you perform 

‘Please sir, am I coming or going?’

All through the long night

We recited Haikus proudly, with sophistication

Snow is falling and falling

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap

Upon the snowman

In the morning the city spreads its wings.

Skinny arms spread to take flight

Playing the song of birds that sing

I still can’t whistle, but Rachel always could, even back then

In the evening the city goes to bed

The whitewashed fluorescent lunchroom our stage

Hanging lights about its head

A book is pages, pictures and words,

For this performance we made “creative writing books”

A book is animals, people and birds

Behind the red glossy paper rests that 6-year-old’s poem

A book is stories of kings and queens

Intouchable Sharpies proudly decorated that red glossy paper

Poems and songs, so many things

Keep a poem in your pocket and a picture in your head.

The white cupcakes with frosting that were to come

And you’ll never feel lonely, at night when you’re in bed

Pulled the small tummy’s through