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1886–1945

Directions for Making Tea

Thomas Burke

In making tchah for table, each man has his own way. Some serve it dashed with lemon, and some with bamboo shoot, And some with sugar, in the English way, And some with spot of sam-shu.;

But when one offers tchah to distinguished visitor, One offers the noble suey sen, and flavors it With the dried bud of the noble chrysanthemum. Consider these verses, little friend,

As cups of suey sen Flavoured with the buds of the flower of all flowers.

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Directions for Making Tea · Thomas Burke · Poetry Cove