Baking fragrance leaps to the nostrils
As friends meet in the tea-room
White scrubbed floors and wooden furniture
Clotted cream and choices of pastry
Tablecloths and heather decorations
Contrast the rugged hills and the sea.
Ever present the algae and crustaceans
Mingle their salty savour with
The sweetness of confections inside
Black tea exudes aroma and warmth
All is still regardless of ticking clocks.
The gooseberry crumble melts away
While sweethearts and travellers rest.
Such afternoons bring blessings
As the waitress assures comfort to
One and all
Here the time is still in joint
No one must set it right
From ‘Ireland’
***
©HMH, 2013
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