Cup Of Tea?

The First Cup

Morning ritual: wake up;
head to kitchen; brew the tea.
Steam swirls slowly upward
as mist from frozen lake
lifts into winter's frigid air.
Stoke fire in stove;
pour the first cup.
Sun, now risen,spreads
its pale light across ice;
ignites silver flames
on edges of floes;
logs in hearth crackle
with a fiery glow.
Settle on couch
to sip warm liquid;
brush cat's thick coat.
He lounges in lap;
purrs with contentment.
Ice fishermen begin
to set up tents and chairs;
A few finches find feeders
fight over perches for seed.
Low purple clouds have
lifted above the hills.
We contemplate the day
with wonderment and
new eyes as if we,
like time travelers, have
just arrived in this place.