Poem: "Tea Service"
This poem came out of the November 6, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from thesilentpoet and Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It has been sponsored by thesilentpoet. You can read more about Eleanor Roosevelt online.
Tea Service
Eleanor Roosevelt observed that
A woman is like a tea bag --
you can't tell how strong she is
until you put her in hot water.
She understood
what it was to boil inside,
knew the shrill warning
of the steam-whistle.
She advocated for civil rights,
pushed the New Deal,
and argued over how best
to enhance the status of working women.
She was cool as ceramic,
subtle as ceylon.
She demonstrated
service without submission.
Above all, Eleanor Roosevelt
reminded everyone that
no matter how annoying the whistle,
you do not seal up the safety valve
and then put the teakettle on the stove
unless you want something to explode.