Morning Tea Rituals

Nice combo of the visual and the writing. I am especially drawn to the strainer of tea leaves, and the mournfulness I associate with that, since it fills with discarded chaff that needs to be thrown away...which is an emotional content easily layered (if not intended [but that's why poetry is awesome]) over the content inherent in the writing.

Rituals are important, and though they may be devoid of fresh emotion, they often remain among the most vital memories and the deepest symbols of commitment. This poem excellently shows the bad parts (repetitiveness and emptiness) and hints at the importance of the good parts with the description under "artist's comments"--I feel like that, alone, might make an excellent ending line to the poem.

In fact, I would totally do that--just append a little line, all by itself: "Even the morning tea ritual could not keep us together." Or keep to the form:

"Morning tea ritual
could not keep us together, keep us from saying
goodbye."

I think that would be an interesting change, but it's just my opinion. It's still and excellent arrangement as is.