The Teahouse Garden
A place where you can leave your cares behind
And have a restful, meditative mind;
A Zen-like atmosphere is what you’ll find
Without distractions. Put away your phones.
Beginning with a path of steppingstones,
Observe the moss, the ferns, the verdant tones,
The koi-filled pond, the waterfall, the stream,
The ageless evergreens. It’s like a dream,
Where mystery’s the over-arching theme.
Across the bridge and round the bend, you’ll see
The bamboo grove and weeping cherry tree.
Just give yourself the grace to simply “be,”
Until, refreshed, your journey culminates.
Relax, and enter here. Beyond these gates,
A lantern glows. The house of tea awaits.
Cheryl Corey is a poet who lives in Connecticut. “Three Sisters,” her trio of poems about the sisters of Fate which were first published by the Society of Classical Poets, are featured in “Gods and Monsters,” an anthology of mythological poems (MacMillan Children’s Books, 2023).
Thanks for the imagery, Cheryl. Sign me up!
Ditto, Russel. I was hoping it would give you an “ah, yes!” feeling.
Your “Teahouse Garden,” Cheryl, achieves the desirable effect of the place it describes. You and the garden make available a number of objects to attract the mind–for use! The mind must choose one (or several in succession) to contemplate. By careful placement and shaping (and rhyming) of each, you invite the gentle exercise that relaxes and refreshes. Mystery may be the overarching theme, but that stays in the background, just like the teahouse itself, not overwhelming the pleasantly active mental processes preparing for tea. A well-designed space.
Thank you, Margaret. My hope is that the reader can use their imagination to fill in the blanks.
A place like paradise, so well-described that the reader can’t help imagining himself/herself in this place, feeling relaxed and looking forward to tea!
If that’s how the poem makes you feel, then I’d call it a success. Thanks for taking the time to read.
If that’s how the poem made you feel, then I’ll call it a success. Thanks for taking the time to read.
My favorite line, Just give yourself the grace to simply “be,”. I did. I made a cup of tea and relaxed while reading your lovely poem and chillin’. Thank you Cheryl.
Norma, sometimes we need to do whatever we can to even momentarily escape the worldly din. in another life I’d love to be a tea taster surrounded by such a garden.
Cheryl, your tranquil Zen-like place immediately reminded me of “The Teahouse of the August Moon,” which is about as close as I have gotten to thinking about an oriental teahouse in the past. Thank you for transporting me back in my memory to such a peaceful place.
FYI: Your poem inspired me to write one on the subject of a Geisha Tea House which I did.
Thanks, Roy. The garden is meant to serve as a transitional space from the mundane world to the spiritual and sacred tea ceremony. I read that tea master Sen Rikyu introduced a “low door” to make the guest enter on their hands and knees as an act of humility. They would also, prior to entry, perform an act of ablution by cleansing their mouth at a stone basin.
Beautiful in its simplicity and full of atmosphere and vibrant imagery.
I couldn’t help thinking, if you changed ‘verdant stones’ to ‘Rolling Stones’, you’d have a whole new poem.
But seriously, thanks for a wonderfully relaxing read, Cheryl.
🙂
Writing this poem in the second person is interesting: the narrative voice invites the reader in, painting a picture of the tranquility that awaits. It is not merely a description, but a promise, and speaks to every reader’s inherent desire for all-embracing peace.
Love the line “Just give yourself the grace to simply be”
We don’t do enough of that, James – to just breathe with mindfulness, for example.
Cheryl, thanks for sharing this poem of a relaxed day venturing through a garden that culminates at the tea-house where one may relax further more and contemplate on the landscaping and vegetation they just experienced.
The main features for such a garden are the textures, greenery, water, and stones such as steppingstones and stone lanterns to light the way at dusk. Pops of color here and there, but the beauty is understated and refined.
My house is a tea house. For more than a decade I have started the morning off with two mugs of China Mutan White tea, which might be the only good habit I have kept up for so many years. Coffee is for barbarians, and I drink it only once or twice a year. It brings me anything but peace.
When I was working, C.B., I drank 4-5 cups of coffee a day, that and adrenaline was often what kept me going. (and yes, it often turned me into something of a barbarian). Now I’m down to one or two at most, and it’s always a cup of tea at night. Is white the most delicate of teas?
I think, Cheryl, that white tea is the least processed (You can google that.). The most subtle tea I’ve ever had is a white tea called Silver Needles. It’s almost too subtle, hard to get it to color up. I’ve had oolong teas that were also very subtle.
This is absolutely gorgeous, Cheryl. You make it sound not only inviting but absolutely essential. “Give yourself the grace to simply be.” Amen.
This simply exudes peace, Cheryl. I love it.
Tea and Mother Nature in all her poetic glory! What more could this reader ask? Cheryl, thank you for blessing my Saturday morning with joy and beauty.