Sunflower Sisters' Tea Time Journey

A Tea Time Journey

​When you open your door
There is the brilliance of a sun room
The softness of quilts and old photos
A tea time journey into memories
Of the neighborhood house
Where all the kids run to play
With plastic cups and saucers, we
Sit ladylike around a table
Pretend to pour – sit and drink.
We were beautiful in our innocence,
As secure as sunflowers
In an open field
Colored and free.

The young girls I played with then
I do not know now
And the ladies I know now
I did not know then,
But there is a mingling of memories,
Aroma of friendship, 
Potent and timeless.
One by one we come together
Sepia leaves.
Hand-in-hand
We steep in the warmth of prayer,
Sweet soothe of healing
We simmer in the joy of sisterhood
As memories bubble up laughter.

​This tea time journey from
Past-to-present-to-future
The taste of love and friendship
In our cup,
And you the perfect hostess
Always ready to pour more...
Full and overflowing we sit
As secure as sunflowers
In an open field
We are at home.

By Romaine Washington © 1998
Previously published in: 
​In the Company of Women 
​literary anthology FL. 2001

Sojourners is a group of ladies who gather to enjoy each other's company and study the word in a dynamic in depth - I mean deep  steeped like tea deep - never think or see the same way again, deep Word of God deep way.

It has been a delight. Each gathering is a unique memory unto itself. Sometimes it's at a member's home, other times, the Maloof  House and this particular day we were pleasantly surprised by Sheila Marchbank's new found gem of a location, The Farm Cottage Tea House in Alta Loma for tea and cakes, the beginning of Sydney Aden's birthday celebration, and...

In 1998 I wrote a poem, A Tea Time Journey, to celebrate the hospitality of a lady by the name of Lorna (last name escapes me) who lived in Georgia. I was a part of a bible study group of ladies and we called ourselves The Sistah's Hour. There have been very few times in my life where I have had that visual, spiritual, emotional connected experience. This Saturday was one of those days and so, here is the poem and some photos from this beautiful day.

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Maloof House

5131 Carnelian St.
Alta Loma, CA 91701