Morning Practice

February 1, 2022

Morning Practice

By Amba Gale

Stir
    your tea slowly.

See the ways
    it swirls in your cup.
Stop your thinking
    by being
    with the tea.

Let the flavors out.

Let the stirring awaken
    the life in the magic powder
    from the east.

Let the tea stir
    your own blood,
    awakening your heart’s breath.

Invite and welcome your heart to speak.
Take pen in hand, and let it kiss the white page
with words that guide, words that nourish, words that marry you to you,
words that dive
words that carry you to view
another place.

And
    when you think
    you have finished
    with your poem
    or your writing,
    or your song,

take another sip,

and listen, deeply, to the quiet applause,
singing you into your day.