i am a tea teetotaler so this is a refreshing Prompt for me :)
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3 centuries BC !!!!! as there is no record available in history of 30 ....?????centuries
except sexing by inference
by all humans 40 50 1000oooo centuries 'tis IMAGERY Iriz
I Shall compose a tea-ling poetry
for thee

I have been to Boston and I have seen the harbour waters are now a light green, but here's a tale of when the waters did smell of something liken to Darjeeling..

It was in the year of seventy three
My girl asked for a cup of tea,
I was in a dory it’s a complex story
Visiting the ships to sell my wares

They were in our Boston harbour
All neat and in rows I never cared.
I left Griffin’s wharf it was dark
I was about to climb aboard

I thought an ounce of tea would be fine
Though I like coffee, no moonshine
The Dartmouth, Eleanor and Beaver
Cases of tea thrown in the brine.

All I wanted was a once or two.
Cases far too much for me and you.
I fled the scene withholding a scream
As Indian warrior’s I had seen.

I grabbed a case as I fled away
So many there they would never say
Or ever count them with the tally stick.
Later I felt so bad I was nearly sick

In the mornings light it was plain to see
The harbour waters were brown not green
I am not sure if this was the start
Of the oceans pollution or just modern art

Good to sip your cup of tea Sparrow & IRiz.....you may try the flavor i bring. Feebie waiting for you to serve us the Aussie cup of tea
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A good way to Tee off a day
with cup of tea that cheers
every sip tingles the buds
for a while its taste lingers

a common drink across the world
for the rich and poor alike
the only divide is how it's served
either piping hot or chilled

it has the power to swing the moods
making joyous days upswing
even if it is not a handsome day
it aids to let out all steam

life without tea is almost like
a tree without its leaves
leaves do hold secret of life
helping us all to breathe

no matter where or with whom it's shared
tea is a common denominator
it plays its role to fuse both sides
in a dynamic equation

for me tea is the best of drinks
I lose count of the liters
that's not true for all others
when I get dizzy with liquor

some love it in its virgin form
while some blend it with white
a dash of vanilla, lemon or ginger
to spice up when its drunk neat

it has the power to shake a slumber
or to tranquilize a sleepless night
legend says it is a potent drink
to make a dead man walk alive
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Hope one can serve here more than 1 cup of tea...
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and theme. I especially like tea with mint but not sure if I can come up with anything. Life is so busy here and ny spare time is getting limited everyday.
Thanks for the invitation anyway dear raj and IRiz

Dip Dip Treat

dip dip dip
then have a small sip
till you feel
the brew is just right

then dip dip dip
this time with a biscuit
it tastes pretty good
soaked in tea

if you dip it too long
making it strong
have tiny little sips
for a longer lasting treat

dip dip dip
with a little flip
to let the spices
stream out

dip dip dip
till the bag goes to sleep
put it in the bin
with a squeeze

dip dip dip
not with finger tips
else you'll go
lick lick lick
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Here is a tea poem I just edited but thought it meets the prompt well. Too bad it's free verse lol. (I'll try for a rhyming tea poem in a day or so)

SEEING TEA
Sitting planning for tomorrow
a glass of iced tea at my hand.
The clear glass reflects my fragile plans.

The tea is how plans come to pass.
I can foretell but minutes only
for as both tea and time's depth increases
things blur and accuracy decreases.

The ice is bumps along the way;
I know they're there to run into
and often shatter plans
as they themselves splinter.
Time affects them both.

Such is time,
such is tea,
such is me.
Take another sip.

Thanks for the invite! It was so cool to read about the "origin myth" of how tea came to be. You can read it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tea. It's wonderful reading all of your poems. Here's my poetic offering.

SERENDIPI-TEA

I happened upon you
like Shennong
the Emperor of China
who boiled water
by the Sinensis tree

you fell unexpected
in my cup

and the rest
is like thousands of years
of history

world changing summits
and sagas of trade
and private afternoons
over tea

that one falling leaf
has led to a million times
of falling for each other

steeping
sipping
relaxing
and reviving

the story of tea
feels like the opposite
of chance

so too
the serendipity
of you and me

I sip two cups of tea
One rhymes with peppermint
the other is free.

Both touch the heart
Like a real art
They quench the thirst
They're cool, they alert

They keep us true
Whenever they brew

So, it's up to you
If you'd be served
A pepperminted tea
Or the unrhyming
free poetry

Two Cousins

tea and coffee
make wonderful cousins
one hails from the leaves
other from cherry beans

some hang out with tea
others with coffee
both are good at stimulating
guests and the host

if one cup is not enough
you down them even more
till you lose the score
and have "one for the road"

never let them slip
between cup and your lip
if they ever do
will leave a stain or two

they are always there for you
in your highs as well as lows
"best of friends to trust"
is a folklore
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Good to know you liked this one. As to your question about what makes words poetic i do not have an academically studied answer...however there are a couple of things I look at while making choices of words such as:-

1. flow should be good even though it may not be rhyme it should not make the reader stumble
2. try to create a picture and appeal
3. try to find alternative words rather than commonly used
4 suave use of metaphors e.g. cousins as personification, hails from (rather than come from) to connect with cousins

would love to know more about this if you can share..
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Ms. Charming

from one route through the nostrils
and one via the tongue
she hits all the senses
and makes them come alive

on summer days she says
tell me who is hot
is it the mighty sun
or my liquid charm

on chilly days she whispers
come hold me in your palms
while I douse your lips
will bring you cozy warmth

you can't leave me alone
I will chase you everywhere
be it in your office
or in your homely chair

tell me all your secrets
share with me your woes
my cup can hold them all
in portions of my brew

whenever you miss me
you won't need to shout
just reach out for the kettle
I will rush out of the spout
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May I request those who are in here as well as who shall be joining later to cast your vote in the idea gallery under "Resources" tab. Please do that..

thanks...
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A Tea Tale

Prologue

In an idle moment she asked
if I remembered our first date
of course I said, how I cannot
lipstick on the brim of her cup

is any other memory in your bank
she asked with a mischievous smile
surely I said it was our first battle
which we settled over a cup of tea

what do you see in my eyes
her raised eye brows then ask
steamy and hot I described
like my favorite tea in the flask

bugged by my talk she rose to leave
booming "is it coffee tea or me"
sitting her down I told her to chill
whispering "let us talk it over tea"

Epilogue

let me put it this way I urged her
if I am tea and you're the spoon
you the sugar and me the spice
we will then blend into V2R1

she blushed and hugged me
stirring a fresh cup of tea
then we raised a toast
"one for the moon" with a kiss
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let me put it this way I urged her
if I am tea and you're the spoon
you the sugar and me the spice
we will then blend into V2R1

That quatrain was my favorite though to be honest didn't get the abbreviation in the last line. Seems to be a scientific one which is not my stronest area.

T ingling
E nticing
A ddictiion

OR

T angy
E nergizing
A ddiction

OR

T otally
E nergizing
A ddiction
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I wanted to have a cup of tea with you today

it was an extremely sunny day
clear skies
no clouds
but winds were not silent,
minus 37
the temperature was only
minus twenty seven

I walked across my Garden of Eden
with knee deep snow laden
about over a mile
all alone
gasping for breath!

but then when I did return
I knocked at your door
and said I am in
do bring a pot of coffee sizzling!

but the door bell didn't ring
the storm ahead
had broken many an electric string

so I returned home
to have a drink...
next time may be....

a hotter bigger
cup of tea

WHAT I SAW

I'd heard that one can read tea leaves
to see what future holds in store
(or at least a bit of tease)
I've heard this many times before.

So not wanting to seem a fool
for trying it without a clue
I checked out a dusty coated tool
a book to tell me what to do.

Home I went and studied it,
not hard as it was not too thick,
then sat and thought for just a bit
while staring at my walking stick.

Had to go out to the store
because ground tea leaves just won't work
interrupted the clerk in mid snore
he looked like I was some type jerk.

Then home to brew a spot of tea
with tea leaves dry but whole
then watched them settle down slowly
while I stared like a near sighted mole.

At last the last leaf settled down
and finished the pattern in the cup
My hard study made me frown
until at last my gaze turned up.

For I had finally learned my fate
a fate worthy of a good cry
I've no clue how long I must wait
but like everyone I'm doomed to die.

This blog format seems to work pretty well but it's about time for another prompt from somebody

welcome to to IRiz's tea party
the cup of tea you have brewed
makes me feel like tea leaves

each leave of tea has a tale
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You have offered one and I offered one on an earlier blog. I hesitate to offer another this soon as I don't want this to be perceived as a blog for only limited contributors. Is Ian, raj or somebody....time to step up

Can we talk of Water next time from the spring to the mighty Ocean or something like this.
Time is short today so I will wend my way,
bye for now x

cups with some left overs
were gathered in the sink
cluttering helter skelter
jaded up in heaps

since party time was over
and guests had disappeared
what was left over
was their gossip time

one cup said to another
mine had diabetes
so i missed my sugar
through the party time

the other cup said to the first
you're lucky my mate
this guy went on stirring
till I was frothing out

you can't feel my anguish
to get out of this cup
this monster had me crying
with some hurting juice

my sweetheart wore some lipstick
and held me in her palms
after just one kiss
she said I am too hot

my guy was very hot
so he found me pretty cool
we both chilled together
and had a minty time

my girl was so crazy
kept squeezing me hard
when she was hooked
by a handsome guy

once gossip time was over
like the party time
it was time for all cups
to have a sauna bath

once the bath was over
they waited with baited breath
knowing not who will
come craving for them next
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Hit the ball from off the tee
Veered to the right and hit a tree
It returned flying fast and free
Bridged my nose now I cannot see
Damn it no one called four

An Untold Story

hand picked from her home on the hills
she mingled with her peers and siblings
when someone paid for her ticket
she wondered why and whereto

accompanied by strangers on the flight
realizing they're of similar color and breed
wearing crumpled Tees marked with Ts
crammed in lots with little room to breathe

on the way they exchanged courtesies
some from India, Indonesia, few Chinese
differing in cultures but blending as one
with avowed mission to thrill mankind

upon landing at their destination
were escorted custom clearance
then were lined up in a dorm
in some branded sleeping bags

soon someone came along
tying each bag with a knot
they knew now their fate
was hung on tiny strings

she woke up with a start in daylight
to the cheer and loud music
by a pool side with folks taking dips
when a guy picked her to have a thrill

she thought he would now loosen the string
to set her free and have a dip
instead he took her to a steaming hot pool
where he dipped her till he had his thrill

mission accomplished she laid in her bag
though destiny for her was unkind
she feared for her T shirt her mates
till they joined her in the stark black dorm
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One can post any number of posts
on tea or not daily
Irene's blog is totally free

i wanted some one to switch over to
Cappuccino COFFEE
THIS WINTER WOULD DO
what say Irene uuuuu???

Poetry of Peppermint Tea

In a kitchen on a windowsill peppermint tea grows in a yellow flower pot. The intense smell of mint permeates the room. A little blue tea pot steeps minty peppermint leaves and half cinnamon stick in hot water.

The origin of peppermint is unknown but dried leaves have been found in the pyramids in Egypt dating back 1000 BC in Egypt. The peppermint tea was cultivated by Egyptians for its oils.

The Greeks and the Romans wore garlands of peppermint around their necks and often used it in wines and sauces. They also crowned themselves with peppermint as they believed it stimulated thinking. The Romans also grew peppermint in their gardens for its beneficial properties to aid their digestive systems.

The peppermint traveled to others lands when the Romans settled in England where the peppermint grow wild. The peppermint continued its travel when the early European settlers brought the peppermint to America where was eventually taboo for portions, tablets and capsules.

Over the centuries the peppermint has become very popular among many for its therapeutic properties, herbal infusions, it’s unusually sharp but light aroma, natural and caffeine free properties and its distinct clean minty flavor.

The golden, smooth, crisp minty flavor of the peppermint is a result of hybrid or pollination of spearmint and watermint.

A cup of steeped peppermint tea brings harmony as I feel alive, calm and peaceful with nature in mind and body. It also helped me through my gastric issues over the years. Bloating, acid reflux, heartburn, and many other digestive ailments are a thing of the past as long as this precious medicinal and therapeutic plant is apart of my natural healing and spiritual journey.

Resources: https://healthyone.org/origin-and-benefits-of-peppermint-tea/, http://www.teablossoms.com.au/peppermintteainfo.php, http://www.healthtips101.com/the-history-of-peppermint-tea-and-its-curat...

rose
tulip
or lotus
lily

daffodils Lord Byron's or is it Wordsworth

OR SELECT YOUR FAVE FLOWER
DAISIES CRIMSONS etc