My New Favorite Tea Poem by Raymond Farrell

Today
As I sit
Under the locust tree
Last night's rain
Dispersed yesterday's
Heat and humidity
I am busy
Organizing my research material
And sipping a cup
Of my new favorite tea
You can't be in China
Without being exposed
To the tea culture
Quality coffee
Is a drink
Confined to specialty shops
And served in select restaurants
But tea is the national drink
Hangzhou region
Boasts about the famous
Long jing tea
Which fetches
A king's ransom
At peak season
But yesterday
I bought a bag of unknown tea
And brought it back to my room
Ika my Indonesian friend
Dropped by for a chat
About her thesis proposal
And I showed her the bag
Knowing she could read Chinese
I asked
What kind of tea is it
It's barley tea
She replied
We shared some together
And I liked
Its mild appealing flavor
So for the moment
It is my favorite tea
And will remain so
Until replaced
By a new brand
Which could happen
At any moment
Given
The wide variety
Of tea
Available
In China.