With Painted Words

The Littleness of Men

by Jessica Xu

The night was dark

and the night was cold

I shivered in my blankets

my teeth chattered wildly.

 

The fire once ablaze

but now dying out

reduced to small little flames

that provided no warmth at all.

 

I pulled on my sweater

and put on fuzzy socks

even added a few more candles

but none seemed to help.

 

Then a glorious, warming smell

wafted slowly around me

circling me and surrounding me

with its pleasant, warm feeling.

 

I look hopefully at the direction

in which this aroma came

seeing a little ceramic cup

waiting patiently for me.

 

The tea smelled wonderful

nice and sweet,

it smelled of pomegranate

and raspberry too.

 

The tea was a warm shade of pink

with little white bits

it was misty and opaque

like the morning fog.

 

I lifted the drink to my lips

and gulped the warmness down.

I felt the warmth flow 

from my throat to my toes.

 

The tea was amazing

and I smiled and leaned back

now not cold at all

and then I wrote like a madman.