While the Tea Steeps

When you’re in the worst of it, the want to lie down and not move, not talk, wouldn’t care if you didn’t breathe, worst of it, they tell you

Take it a day at a time.

A day? Ha. An hour is hard enough. Give me a minute please.

But babies need good night kisses and plants need to be watered and my kitchen is a mess. I do the first two and am too tired to do the third but think a cup of tea sounds nice.

So I turn on the hot water. While it heats I can take out the trash. This one thing. Then I have time to empty the dishwasher. I can do this one thing. I enjoy the noise of the cutlery, the rattle of the dishes leaving the spokes.

Then it’s whistling and I pour the water over my tea, something fruity and not too strong. Something I can smell as much as I can taste.

I look over at the dirty dishes and think, while the tea steeps.

And then this one thing too is done and I grab my mug and turn off my lights and walk away from my clean kitchen and back into my bed.