In Love with a Poet
Poems // Mr. Jukes and Barney Artist
An ode to the partners of poets, the muses of makers, the lovers of the lovers of word.
For every time you hushed the house while our pens poured prayers upon the page.
For the way you listen to us wax and wane the wonders of the world while all you wanted to know was what we wanted from the grocery store.
For every time you come to our aid in a moment of desperate panic when we scream from beyond the room of our own “QUICK WHAT IS ANOTHER WORD FOR DEPRESSED?!”
For telling us “they’re just ignorant fascists” with every rejection and “duh you’re brilliant” with every acceptance.
For all the cups of tea and half filled journals and burning candles you find abandoned around the house that you just quietly clean up without a word (other than the ones you whisper under your breath when you think we’re not listening.)
For knowing that everything you say and do can and will be held against you in a court of song (like those words you just whispered.)
For every edit and every share and every praise and every cheer.
Boy, you bad and you know it cuz you fell in love with a poet.
As the great modern poet Dr Swift once said to Saint Stephen…
“All those other girls, well, they're beautiful
But would they write a song for you?”
The song “Poems” by Mr. Jukes and Barney the Artist, all about the woahs of just being liked for your way with words instead of a way with the body, got me thinking about those who love a writer. The ones that stay, that don’t just tolerate the poems but celebrate them. The ones that maybe don’t get the way we see a metaphor in EVERYTHING, and I mean everything from dinner to baseball games, but they love the way WE do. That’s what matters after all.
If you love love stories, my favorite series is back again over on coffee + crumbs Substack this month. I can’t wait to follow along. (And I’m honored to have words of my own make an appearance later this month. More on that later.)
The drink I bring you today is for the lovers of words and the lovers that love them. It’s warm and it’s complex and sweet and spicy. You can sip it sober or spike it with spirit. It’s just the right thing to sip while you’re letting the words spill over again. Or better yet, what to supply your sexy sweetheart while they struggle with the story. It’s best to keep them happy. You never know what they’re going to say about you.
✨ In Love with a Poet Tea✨
4 cups water
4 black tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
2 anise stars
1 green cardamom pod , smashed
2 whole cloves
Spirit of choice (recommend sweet vermouth, brandy, or rum)
1 cup coconut cream
Bring water to boil and add the thai tea mix. Add sugar and gently stir to completely dissolve sugar. Gently boil tea for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Allow tea to steep for at least 30 minutes and allow it to cool. The more concentrated the tea flavor, the better the Thai tea tastes. Strain. Rewarm. Divide into four mugs. Add 1-2 oz spirit if using. Top with coconut milk.
Oh I love this! 👏🏻
YES