I so love this, Angie … when I saw it on Twitter I got so happy. Sometimes minimalism is just minimal, but this is so evocative in a way I can’t even explain. Something about all the dichotomies that are packed into those four words — inside/outside, hot/cold, black/white, natural/manmade, inanimate/animate … Also the rhyme in the first two lines, which brings an element of sound into what is really a highly visual poem. Also the fact that the words “black tea” appear in a direct vertical line so there is that additional image thrown at you when you scan the poem; even though the syntax might not provide for it the visual appearance of the poem does. Also (I keep noticing new things …) the words “snow” and “black” appear together in the same way, creating a sense of surprise — you would normally expect to see the words “snow white,” so you’re jolted into another way of seeing the world.
Okay, thus endeth my sermon for the day. Brava, again. 🙂
isn’t that funny — you saw things I didn’t see! wow! it does amaze me, though, how just one word can change things. imagine if it had been raining when I drank my tea; the whole poem would change. and playing with the structure of the poem, too — adding a space, putting things together that maybe wouldn’t be if they were linear… fun, fun.
a word is such a marvelous thing.
thanks so much for your “sermon” — I think it’s the best comment I’ve ever received! I may just print it out and put it on the wall, if I can get my printer to work!!
feathers 
I so love this, Angie … when I saw it on Twitter I got so happy. Sometimes minimalism is just minimal, but this is so evocative in a way I can’t even explain. Something about all the dichotomies that are packed into those four words — inside/outside, hot/cold, black/white, natural/manmade, inanimate/animate … Also the rhyme in the first two lines, which brings an element of sound into what is really a highly visual poem. Also the fact that the words “black tea” appear in a direct vertical line so there is that additional image thrown at you when you scan the poem; even though the syntax might not provide for it the visual appearance of the poem does. Also (I keep noticing new things …) the words “snow” and “black” appear together in the same way, creating a sense of surprise — you would normally expect to see the words “snow white,” so you’re jolted into another way of seeing the world.
Okay, thus endeth my sermon for the day. Brava, again. 🙂
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oh, thank you melissa!
isn’t that funny — you saw things I didn’t see! wow! it does amaze me, though, how just one word can change things. imagine if it had been raining when I drank my tea; the whole poem would change. and playing with the structure of the poem, too — adding a space, putting things together that maybe wouldn’t be if they were linear… fun, fun.
a word is such a marvelous thing.
thanks so much for your “sermon” — I think it’s the best comment I’ve ever received! I may just print it out and put it on the wall, if I can get my printer to work!!
😀
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[…] absolutely loved this highly minimalist haiku by Angie Werren, posted this week both on Twitter and on her blog feathers. I wrote her a long […]
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