Photo: Wendy Lew Toda
These days, in Altadena and Pasadena, you may hear from friends their joyful stories of discovering that a given object of theirs survived the Eaton Fire. You may also hear the exclamations of dismay from friends who suddenly remember a given object lost to the fire.
You could call these objects familiar, hinting at their belonging to family, however you define family and even if you would never confuse them for a friend or an uncle.
“Objectification” refers to an object’s reduction to your purposes. “Personification” is a figure of speech useful to evoke a familiar object’s participation in life and life’s rituals.
Which brings us to Wendy Lew Toda’s poem “A Cup of Tea?”
A Cup of Tea?
her comforting question steadies my inner disarray
with tender hands she offers my favorite cup
the one that brags permanent residency in her kitchen
murmured gratitude passes between us
here in the ashes of my beloved street
hot pot bears witness next to us on gray asphalt
flowered companion with a belly full of generous warmth
cups kiss chins waiting for tea to be sippable
steam warms our noses rendering us foggy-eyed
four tiny shields against heartbreak unfathomable
I have to go. I have to see.
Not by yourself, she insisted.
gone is the green porch that kept our secrets
as we poured out tea and life tuesday after tuesday
chairs squeaking protest as we settled in
bringing a chuckle sometimes much needed
hot pot releases a sad sigh, wishing it could bow its head
— Wendy Lew Toda
Wendy Lew Toda is a poet/artist/coach/facilitator. She creates at the intersection of grief and joy, for our deeper wholeness and healing. Wendy lives in Pasadena.
Local News Pasadena (LNP) publishes poems grounded in current news events from the greater Pasadena, California area. Submit your own poetry here.
