The cup feels warm as I touch it.
Even with my low threshold of heat,
Occassionally I don’t mind burning my tongue
On a perfect cup of hot chai.
My relationship with tea has been on and off
Throughout my life, after I was old enough
To be allowed a sip
It’s often been overshadowed by coffee
As my preferred beverage
But then come days,
When I wake up in the morning
With no muscle in my body wanting to move
The days when I’m sick
Or fighting off one of those days when my head
Feels like it is ready to burst open at the tiniest sounds
On those days, my heart craves nothing more than
A perfect cup of hot chai
I don’t like the taste as much, no
It’s the feeling that comes along with it
When the faint smell of ginger wafts up
And reminds me of the rain
The days when I’d sit with you in the balcony
Sharing tea, made just the way you like it
And I’d make faces, because to me
It tasted like sugar syrup
But on those days, my heart also found comfort
In your company
It reminds me of long road trips
That we’d take
And stop on the side
In the shade, with the cool breeze
For the thele-wali-chai
It reminds me of the mandatory drink
Served with breakfast at home
Because my parents
Can have 10 cups of chai a day
And still want more
It reminds me of when
I was living with my friends
And we’d wait for our chai time
To catch up with each other
Talk about our day
About work, and everything in between
I don’t like the taste as much, no
It’s the memories it brings
Of happy days, tiring days
Days that bring a smile to my face
And so on the days
When my mind wants to give up
Cover my face with a blanket
And just stay in bed
My heart craves nothing more
Than a perfect cup of hot chai
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Prompt: Think of the food you crave when you’re sick, sad or somewhere in between.
What is it? Why do you crave it? What memories does it evoke?
life and my musings 