Featured Poem:
Chai
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Featured Poem:
Chai
Dark, hot
And spicy
He told me to bring a cup of
Chai
“Tea” he said
“Make it the way I like it”
He reminded.
Spiced with cinnamon and lemon
Sweetened by honey and sugar
I was ready
To be drunk by my master
Ready to be poured into his cup
And break my alabaster
Dark skin
Smooth as within
Delicate and vulnerable
I knew he would treat my heart
The way he treated my body
The way he treated his tea
The way he liked it
Hot and spicy
Sweet and tasty
He never waited for it to cool down
Never waited for me to be ready
Never thought that the hot chai
Could burn his tongue
Never realized that I was too young
To be drunk
By a man old enough to be
My father
To be exposed
To a mouth that treats my hot tea
With a cold heart
He touched me
And I cried
Sizzling my heat on his tongue
I cried
Tears of pain
Were mistaken for pleasure
I cried
For I was that Chai
That I made
For an unworthy tongue
I cried
As he extracted from my tree
Every leaf that
Would give him more tea
I cried
For the fact that he didn’t care
That he defiled me
I cried
That there was no one
No one
Who could help me
The ones that I depended on
Had left me
They hid in their own caves
Engulfed by their own fears
Cause we were only slaves
Slaves to our masters desire
I was, he said, the special kind
For his special desires
His concubine
His suria
I cried
For the years I had spent
Keeping myself
For my husband
I cried
For my parents and my little siblings
Who were looking up to me
I cried
My pride, Gone
My taste, Gone
My youth, Gone
My love, Gone
All because this man
Wanted a taste
Of black Chai
Dark, hot
And spicy
He told me to bring a cup of
Chai
“Tea” he said
“Make it the way I like it”
He reminded.
Spiced with cinnamon and lemon
Sweetened by honey and sugar
I was ready
To be drunk by my master
Ready to be poured into his cup
And break my alabaster
Dark skin
Smooth as within
Delicate and vulnerable
I knew he would treat my heart
The way he treated my body
The way he treated his tea
The way he liked it
Hot and spicy
Sweet and tasty
He never waited for it to cool down
Never waited for me to be ready
Never thought that the hot chai
Could burn his tongue
Never realized that I was too young
To be drunk
By a man old enough to be
My father
To be exposed
To a mouth that treats my hot tea
With a cold heart
He touched me
And I cried
Sizzling my heat on his tongue
I cried
Tears of pain
Were mistaken for pleasure
I cried
For I was that Chai
That I made
For an unworthy tongue
I cried
As he extracted from my tree
Every leaf that
Would give him more tea
I cried
For the fact that he didn’t care
That he defiled me
I cried
That there was no one
No one
Who could help me
The ones that I depended on
Had left me
They hid in their own caves
Engulfed by their own fears
Cause we were only slaves
Slaves to our masters desire
I was, he said, the special kind
For his special desires
His concubine
His suria
I cried
For the years I had spent
Keeping myself
For my husband
I cried
For my parents and my little siblings
Who were looking up to me
I cried
My pride, Gone
My taste, Gone
My youth, Gone
My love, Gone
All because this man
Wanted a taste
Of black Chai
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Wow, this is really good! Well done, Esther!
What a revelation: “I knew he would treat my heart The way he treated my body”.
It is so easy to mistake tenderness for true love as the two can resemble each other so much. Every touch, every kiss can be another lie – another vicious deception. The motivation is entirely selfish as all the man wants is a “taste of black Chai” – he is a consumer and she is a variation of tea – the dark kind. There is a consumer and one that is being consumed. There is no sharing of experience.
I am glad that the young woman has realized that she still has “sizzling heat” and spice and is well-tasting, and that the tongue that tasted her is unworthy of her.
Es Taa has achieved sublimity. This is of moral and intellectual worth. This is powerful spoken word.
This poem is poignant in all ramifications.
The poet’s use of the Chai tea as a symbolism for the taking of a young woman’s virginity and innocence by a Master is just affecting.
Her voice, it just was silky yet it had the strength of delivery needed to pass this message beautifully.
Incredible poem!! I love the subtleties of the prose that actually opened the door to the stark realities of a young girl being defiled. BRAVO Es Taa! Your voice is very authentic and moving. Thank you for sharing.
‘Tear of pain were mistaken for pleasure’My csta i like the way you express things as a woman. you are a woman and a half