inquisitive university professor academic intelligentsia
wingtips, nattily attired, walking stick gold handle in hand
blackish gray goatee pointing out his knowledge
square black frame glasses framing his all knowing face
behind them his eyes pointedly look down on all he sees
has come to seek out zephyrs of zen with reserved skepticism
with thoughts already ingrained in his brain
his gracious host receives him polite smile and deference
removes chipped teacup from brown wicker cabinet
places on small wobbly table in front of seated visitor
retrieves bright red teapot singing with cheerful elegance
begins pouring green tea into white porcelain vessel and keeps pouring
tea overflows the banks of the cup running onto scratched wooden table
then flooding onto the floor in a tsunami of hot dark liquid
the product of academia exclaims “What are you doing!”
jumping up from his chair incredulously
benevolent host smiles saying “Just as no more tea will go into the cup,
nothing can enter a mind that is already full of stale information
you must empty the mind to receive the fresh.”
