How to sweeten my tea

a touch of sugar for some

others a lump or a spoonful or two

for me though even though I find myself here in the south

I still take it as I’d like to think it came with me from the west

with a squeeze of honey, raw, straight

from the belly of the bear.

A spoon swirl or three the first sip as it turns

on my tongue just enough to touch the edge of the earth with my toes and remember.