"a mild, subtle tea that induces exotic and nostalgic daydreaming"

"the fragrance of adventure and poetry endlessly pervades each cup of tea"
-henri mariage

it may have been partly out of a desire to talk to the sweet tea-seller for longer, but i bought five different kinds of tea from mariage freres, the ancient tea house that has been seeking adventures in tea since 1660: bourbon, richmond, chandernagor, nil rouge, and thé au poetes solitaires (tea for the solitary poet.)

cymbeline died (i am a cereal-eating killer, a murderer of house-plants) so i bought a little hyacinth from the flower shop around the corner. the boy asked me if it was a gift; i said no, it was just for me. he smiled, & began wrapping raffia ribbon around the moss-covered pot, & wrapping it in lilac tissue paper. i did not protest. when he was finished, he came around to the front of the cash register, stood very straight in front of me, looked me right in the eye: a gift for you.

christmas lights are up in the market streets, notre dame's baubled tree sits at its feet, & i have more peels than clementines.