"The Physics of Tea" by Doug Tanoury

"The Physics of Tea"

by Doug Tanoury

Sitting in the living room
drinking tea with her and
talking about special relativity
and the fact that the most distant
galaxies are racing away from us
at 80% of the speed of light and
as she considers this

pulling a wayward strand of hair
from her face, she begins to twirl it,
worrying it between her fingers, and
I am touched by the girlishness
of this gesture, as she says very seriously:
"Gravity is a fear of being alone."
I laugh,

setting my tea down on the table
hearing the percussion click
of a china cup meeting the saucer and
as she smiles the freckles on her cheeks
gravitate together in Newtonian fashion
and I know what holds everything together.