A POETRY Contest HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
CHANNEL KINDNESS & Born This Way Foundation
Grandmother’s hands, cups of tea, smiling strangers… four Girls Write Now mentees share poetry about the ways they give and receive kindness, selected by a panel of Channel Kindness judges.
Simple Recipe for Ten Minute Ginger Tea
By Asma Al-Masyabi
HONORABLE MENTION
From the CHANNEL KINDNESS judge’s panel:
This poem is about such a simple, small task (making tea), and yet—through intriciate descriptions and evoking our senses, it’s portrayed with such beauty, detail, and love. Our whole team was very grateful to read this—we will never think about tea the same way again!
I.
guess six mugs of water into a pot
and set to boil as six cups–clay-baked
and glazed–wait for you to retrieve
honey, the jar beside the
knife block, glued to the marine-tiled wall
II.
dance your fingers around the plastic, search
for an unsticky spot, and then invite
gravity–
until amber heaves downwards, thins into a rill
plummets into the hollow of each mug
III.
reach for the bulbous warp of ginger, flake
the gold autumn skin,
grate the bite of sunset,
spice
should sharpen your nostrils
ad break muted in favor of bad jokes, laughter
gentle–wait for the punchline to pour gush of warmth into mugs,
IV.
wait for the kettle to hum and quiver,
set it besides the patient mugs
root through cupboards
for a silver sieve, and admire
the milky yellow clouds in bloom
V.
catch the dimmed ceiling LEDs
in the chamber of teaspoon’s lip
ripple liquid into opacity, before eyes flicker to
weary green lines on the microwave clock,
count: one, two-and-a-half minutes to seep
VI.
frame family in doorway, huddled on charcoal couch,
ad break muted in favor of bad jokes, laughter
gentle–wait for the punchline to pour gush of warmth into mugs,
clink spoon to make sonorous honey hum
to mellow ginger buzz
VII.
serve from behind,
leaning over shoulders, careful–
handle-first–as you place steaming mugs into familiar hands,
finish with small hug and ask
what did I miss?
Process
A Poetry Contest & Story Collection
When you think about kindness, what sights and sounds come to mind? How do you encapsulate such grand feelings of compassion? Girls Write Now mentees and alumni rose to the challenge in the Art of Kindness Poetry Contest, hosted in partnership with Channel Kindness and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.
Asma Al-Masyabi
Asma Al-Masyabi is a free-verse poet and visual artist based in Colorado, who occasionally delves into flash fiction. She is currently pursuing her Associates in English with a concentration in creative writing. Her two biggest passions are crafting the written word and art and she wants to pursue a life-long career where she can do both. She’s dreaming big dreams, reading good books, while simultaneously baking chocolate chip cookies. When not experimenting in the kitchen, you can find her reading all the comics she can get her hands on and watching the next big hit her mom found on TV.
