Poetry and Tea

Both poetry and tea give us quiet, thoughtful time to return to ourselves and to the mysteries of the universe. Both can help free us from the fear of disaster and help us live through turbulent times. Let’s celebrate the moment with Poetry and Tea together. Explore that beauty with the linguistically, culturally, and economically diverse communities around us.

Winter Garden, by Pablo Neruda was translated by members of the Tea Arts and Culture community and performed by them in fourteen different languages. We are deeply grateful to each of them for their work in translation and performance. Neruda placed an emphasis on the connection to nature and to each other. He had a great love for everyday things - the sun, the moon, snow in a winter garden, a cup of tea - things we think of as ordinary but are what make up our lives. This also encapsulates the essence of Tea Arts and Culture and the way that ordinary things connect to the profound. So here you have it.

A recording of the event cannot do justice to the beauty and spontaneity of the event itself. Bundled up in our winter clothes, we began, halting at moments but driven by conviction. The sound of children playing in the background was our only soundtrack. It snowed, and we could see the first snowflakes of the year outside the windows of the Boathouse. Sometimes in the future, we may practice more and be more theatrical, but never more sincere. Perhaps creating community is the real art.

- Robin Lampman, Poetry & Tea Director

Join us for our public events to read, write, and appreciate the poetry inspired by Pablo Neruda's 'Odes to Common Things,'