To Fail the Leaf

Is it really for me to judge a flower by its flavor or a leaf for its quality when I do not fully understand them?

When I try a tisane and judge it to be weak in flavor, am I failing to appreciate something beautiful instead?

Sometimes I wonder if I am missing things in my tastings.

That I cannot fully comprehend the experience and thus cannot adequately judge the quality of it.

I have not worked the soil or picked the leaves with my fingers. I have not withered or dried the leaves into something new.

I am looking at the end of a journey and for that I am lacking.

I have not tasted enough fruits or smelled enough flowers to comprehend a fine silver needle.

Not fully. Not really.

I am simply a blind woman fumbling through the dark trying to find words for things I cannot see.

I notice the world around me and I fail to find words to describe the simplest smells. When I search through the works of others to find the words that elude me, I realize that many of these avenues lie unexplored. Am I alone in this wilderness?

It never seems to be enough. Whatever the breadth of my knowledge, it is not enough. As deep as my understanding runs, it is not enough. As much as I try, I will always fall short when trying to describe what lies in my cup.

If I cannot find the words to describe the scents and flavors of these beautiful things, how can I hope to immortalize these tastings?

If I lack the language to capture these moments, how can I share the beauty brewed in my vessels to people I will never meet?

How can I share this love when I do not know how to share my experiences?

Pictures and words are not enough to capture the essence of tea to someone who has not tried it.

Maybe it doesn’t matter.

Maybe the accuracy of my words will never encompass my experiences and I should accept that I can never portray these infusions as deeply or as thoroughly as I would prefer.