The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

A Proper Cup of Tea

Whole leaf tea, that’s Granny’s rule.
“One spoon for me and one for you.”
Add boiling water to the pot
and let the mixture brew.

Pour a cup, add sugar, milk,
then stir, let it go still.
Sip it while it’s hot or else
it’s good for nowt but swill.

A floating leaf foretells a letter
coming soon to you.
No letters ever come for me,
so maybe that is true,

‘cos we use tea bags in our house,
with not a leaf in sight.
Though everybody laughs at her,
perhaps my Granny’s right!

About the Writer


Rhona Stephens

Rhona Stephens grew up in Northern Ireland and now lives in Scotland. She loves words and music, living in the country and visiting the coast, especially the north coast of Ireland. You can find her poems for children in Tyger Tyger, The Toy, Parakeet, Dirigible Balloon, PaperBound and Charles Causley Trust.