.

An Invitation

While treading my locality’s
__New-slathered pavement grass,
There came a flying, loud “hello”
__From sprightly Mr. Das.

“Black skies. It seems a squall will lash
__Our town,” he said to me.
“Come, get inside. We’ll treat ourselves
__To gingered pu’er tea.”

The first “no” is for etiquette.
__The next for gratitude.
The third’s a ruiner, which displays
__One’s standoff attitude.

Through chats, guffaws, and slurpy sips,
__We gladly passed an hour.
And then, a wrathful, rumbling storm
__Erupting with great power

Blew up our pleased, rejoicing ears.
__He told me I could stay
And keep aside all shyness till
__The sun regained its sway.

Another round of flavoured tea
__With pound cakes, rusks, and wafers.
A healthy back-and-forth about
__The headlines in newspapers

Was made, while unbeknownst to us,
__The rainclouds slowly passed.
I stood up, gave my thanks to him
__And headed home at last.

If I had gone about my stroll
__Ignoring him, by now
A fever would have seized my head.
__God aids his flock somehow.

.

.

Shamik Banerjee is a poet from Assam, India, where he resides with his parents. His poems have been published by Sparks of Calliope, The Hypertexts, Snakeskin, Ink Sweat & Tears, Autumn Sky Daily, Ekstasis, among others. He received second place in the Southern Shakespeare Company Sonnet Contest, 2024.

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18 Responses

  1. Roy E. Peterson

    Such a serene peaceful poem with an intrinsic message of a caring conversation, all too infrequent these days of electronic gadgets and rushing on our way. I am delighted with the reasons for the “no” and then the acceptance showing at once politeness and understanding of the sincerity of the invitation. You have a smooth and well-rhymed way of expressing your actions and feelings.

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      I fully agree with you, Mr. Peterson. In this age, people are too busy to start a conversation with their neighbours, let alone invite them for tea. I live in a small, thinly populated locality, so maybe this is the reason people here are still social. I am happy with your takeaway from the various reasons for “no.” You have grasped the message right. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.

      Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      I’m happy to know that, Sally. Thank you so much for reading my poem.

      Reply
  3. Martin Rizley

    Shamkik, I echo Roy and Sally in saying that your poem is both “delightful” and “serene” in its tone. What I like about it most is its down to earth “humanity,” and quiet extolling of the virtues like good etiquette, politeness, hospitality, caring concern, good humor and shared enjoyment of life´s simple joys– like sharing tea cakes with a friend! Such virtues often get snubbed, forgotten or trampled underfoot in the busyness of modern life, which contributes a great deal, I am sure, to the spirit of angst that characterizes our overly stressed society. People are too busy, too much in a hurry to take the time to show caring concern to a neighbor, or to receive kindness in return. I like the way you bring in, as an afterthought, the sudden awareness of what would likely have overtaken you had you not accepted Mr. Das´ kind invitation. This causes the reader to reflect on what good things one often forfeits by failing to receive the divine “aid” that often comes to us providentially in unexpected ways through the various people with whom we interact daily. Thank you for sharing this cheerful and upbeat poem!

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      Mr. Rizley, in the first place, thank you so much for reading my poem and leaving this elaborate comment. It’s always uplifting to know others’ interpretations of my work, and you have rightly captured the essence of my poem. As noted in my response to Mr. Peterson’s comment, I think the close-knit relationships and socially active state of the people around me are due to the size of my town. The people of small towns often stick together and engage more frequently as compared to city dwellers. But yes, times have changed, and God knows what else is there in store for us. There might come a time when people will even stop greeting one another. Thank you so much once again. God bless you!

      Reply
  4. Paul A. Freeman

    I really enjoyed this piece. Tea ceremonies can be quite intricate, from one culture to another.

    Not so sure the final stanza was necessary. Taking us out of the tea ceremony and bringing God into the equation weakened the impact of the poem topic, I felt.

    Thanks for the read.

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment, Mr. Freeman. Indeed, tea ceremonies, whether grand or small, are means to strengthen friendship bonds and have productive dialogues on various topics. 

      Also, thank you for your feedback regarding the final stanza. I personally felt the need to include it because that really was the case—had I not accepted the invitation and proceeded with my walk, the storm would have taken over me. A voice in me said, “Accept it,” and I did. 

      Reply
      • Paul A. Freeman

        From my reading, the line in the penultimate stanza, ‘while unbeknownst to us, / The rainclouds slowly passed’, implies a spiritual element without explicitly spelling it out to the reader. Having already attributed your saving from a soaking to a higher power, I felt the last stanza was a little extraneous.

        That said – time for a cup of Earl Gray.

    • Shamik Banerjee

      Mr. Freeman, thank you so much for explaining your point to me. Yes, that too, is a good angle from which the poem can be looked at. How incredible it is that every reader’s mind has a unique way of processing a poem. Every analysis and suggestion opens up a news horizon of improvement. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I hope you enjoyed your Earl Gray.

      Reply
  5. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Shamik, this poem is a delight. Your words appeal to the senses – I can smell and taste the ginger, and I can feel the warmth and wonder of such cosy company at a time of angst. It takes me back to my homeland and regular afternoon teas with two dear friends. My troubles melted away with the steam from my bone china cup. I love your closing stanza. I believe it adds greater meaning to the encounter… it adds a spiritual dimension that lifts the simple act of tea-drinking to far greater heights. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      Dear Susan,

      I’m filled with joy and motivation after reading your beautiful comment. To learn that my poem took you back to your afternoon tea sessions with close friends is a greatly satisfactory feeling. This line, “My troubles melted away with the steam from my bone china cup,” is both poetic and inspiring. I think a whole new poem (perhaps, An Ode to a Bone China Cup?) can be carved out just from this line. Thanks for this brilliance. No doubt I’d be thrilled to see your craft on it. I might try too.

      I’m glad you imputed the last stanza to spirituality, just as I intended it to be. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. God bless.

      Reply
  6. Gigi Ryan

    Dear Shamik,
    I love this story! It seems that the writer is young and Mr. Das is an elder since he is described as “sprightly” and given the respectful title of “Mr.”
    It is increasingly rare for youth to respect the wisdom of seniors and this writer, in his honoring Mr. Das, was blessed not just with delicious food and fellowship but with Divine protection, as you recognize in the final stanza.
    Thank you for this lovely poem.
    Gigi

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      Dear Gigi,
      You are spot on with the age difference between Mr. Das and me. He’s my father’s age. Most of my society members are locals except for those who’ve come for work purposes. The bond between us is, thankfully, strong. Thank you so much for reading and expressing your thoughts about my poem. God bless.

      Reply
  7. Margaret Coats

    “Healthy back and forth” seems like the heart of this poem about responding to an invitation. Details on the weather form an important backdrop, telling why the invitation was made, and they fill out the picture of the men who meet over tea. One is kind and provident toward the shy, reluctant other who finally accepts meeting only when he realizes it would be rude to refuse. Both are rewarded with rich human interaction that is unnecessary but soul-serving.
    Conversation is the joy here, supported by tea and food and even by newspapers, in which the headlines may be problematic, but the talk overwhelms them gladly. The story-telling in fine rhyme and jaunty meter is a pleasure to read and think about.

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      Dear Margaret,
      It’s such a terse summary of my poem! I’m impressed by how deeply you analyse a poem, visiting every nook and bend in it, and explaining “why” behind them. Indeed, we are incredibly blessed to have you and your rich knowledge with us. Many many thanks!

      Reply
  8. Yael

    This is a delightful every day human affairs poem which I enjoyed reading very much for its sense of peace and serenity. I especially like the slightly tongue-in-cheek sounding yet spiritually uplifting final stanza which creates a satisfying sense of closure.

    Reply
    • Shamik Banerjee

      I’m happy to know you enjoyed my poem. In addition to that, to know that you found a sense of peace in it is itself a peaceful feeling. Many thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

      Reply

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