Green Tea

There's nothing quite like a hot cup of tea to end a long day.

The microwave beeps.
I was too impatient to use a teapot.
The glass measuring cup
Could brand my hands
Bubbles bustle and wrestle
Their way to the top
Popping quickly, quietly.
The teabag topples in.
Sizzling, dirty green fans out,
A cloud forming.
The cloud consumes the glass.
Sugar substitute sizzles slowly
As I sprinkle it
Like large flakes of snow
Falling on a damp
Sidewalk
Melting before they can do any damage
Fizzing softly, foaming soothingly
I reach up in the full cupboard
Retrieving a chipped old mug
Cracks stained brown with
Coffee, tea, soup.
I pour the warm brew into the mug.
The heat steams like a soft sigh
I hold the mug
And take a sip.