We had an unusual and varied Poetry Teatime. There was flooding in Houston, so my husband, Gary, stayed home from work. The gym was closed, so the big boys were home. With everybody home, I declared a special edition of the Poetry Teatime.
Poetry Teatime: Flood Edition
The creeks were flooded, the streets were rivers and our home was filled with soul-filling poetry and tummy-filling yummy treats. And lots of boys.
No-bake cookies flooded our table.
The boys dominated Teatime this day.
Gary read a poem about bats while drinking Peace Tea and petting the family guinea pig. All while working on a technical manual!
Morgan read his usual pleasantly morbid selections from his favorite book of poems.
Shawn read entertaining epitaphs and limericks that made us laugh.
Patrick read an original poem he had written during our Teatime.
Christian, our friend, braved the flood waters and arrived just in time to join our Poetry Teatime. And to eat some no-bake cookies.
I read Winnie-the-Pooh poems to bring some dignity to the occasion.
Fiona Grace graced us with a poem from her favorite poem book all her own.
Our family has come through some rough waters recently. Our vessel was in danger of cracking up. We were splintered into cliques and enemy camps.
We needed something to unify us. Especially something with my husband involved. Who would have thought a flood and a Poetry Teatime would help us make strides toward the unity we have been trying to recapture?
I guess you could say this Poetry Teatime helped us get back on course. My husband commented later that it helped him to see the importance of gathering together around the table. He is now trying to make it a priority over other activities to call everyone together for meals, Bible Study, and prayer time.
My cup overflows!
This poem came together as I was writing this letter.
The Poetry Pirates
Despite pouring rain
And tumultuous weather
We gathered for tea
And read poems together.
A band of pirates
just come through a storm
Sailing through poetry books
Safe, dry and warm.
Poring over poems
Searching for treasure
To share with our crew
Who cares about the weather!
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
