Can poetry heal? Can a cup of tea open a conversation we wouldn't otherwise dare to start? These questions were the starting point of “Therapeutic poems”, a project by the Reading Club of the Mihai Eminescu National College in Suceava, which brought us a very special afternoon at the Sakura tea house in the autumn of 2025.
Green Week, over a cup of tea
As part of the “Green Week” programme, held in the county's schools from 20 to 24 October 2025, the students, coordinated by their teacher Anca Gorban, chose to leave the classroom and come to Sakura. Their project set out to explore how far poetry can help us understand our emotions and feel better.
Healing the soul through poetry and tea
The workshop wove together three simple things: verses read aloud, the sound of a flute and tea served with patience. Each student chose a poem that represented them and explained why, and tea became the perfect excuse for the pauses between words – the moments in which a thought settles. We also talked about the tea ritual, about the calm and attention it asks of us, and about how, like poetry, it teaches us to slow down.
What we learned from them
Young people are far more open to quiet than we think. All they lack is a space in which to find it. A table, a cup and a few lines of verse were enough for them to truly listen to one another. Thank you to the Reading Club and to their teacher for their trust – Sakura's doors remain open for future editions.
Poetry and tea, an old friendship
The bond between tea and poetry is far older than it might seem. In Tang dynasty China, in the same era in which Lu Yu wrote the first book about tea, the poet Lu Tong wrote a famous poem about “the seven bowls of tea”: the first moistened his lips and throat, the next ones drove away his loneliness and cleared his thoughts, and with the last he felt a light breeze lifting him towards the sky. His verses are still quoted by tea lovers all over Asia.
In Japan, the tea ceremony grew up alongside calligraphy and short poetry: a scroll with a few words or a line of verse, chosen for the day, often hangs in the tea room. In 18th-century England, the poet William Cowper called tea the drink that “cheers but not inebriates”, a phrase that became proverbial. And in Romanian culture, tea appears in the memoirs and letters of writers from the early 20th century as the natural backdrop to evenings of conversation and reading.
How to host a reading circle over tea
- The group. Between four and ten people is ideal: enough for different opinions, few enough for everyone to have a say.
- The theme. Choose a poet, a book or a theme (the seasons, friendship, childhood). Everyone brings a short text to read aloud.
- The tea. Two teas are enough: one with caffeine for the afternoon, one caffeine-free for the evening. A teapot on the table, within everyone's reach, invites patience.
- The rhythm. After each reading, a few moments of silence and a sip of tea, then the discussion. It needn't be literary analysis: it's enough to say what moved you.
- The ending. Everyone shares a line or a word they're taking home. You can write all these lines in the circle's shared notebook.
For your own tea with poetry
For an evening of reading, choose a caffeine-free tea to help you unwind: a herbal infusion such as Bedtime Treat Organic, or a smooth rooibos. And if you're a teacher and would like to bring your class to a tea workshop, write to us.
Frequently asked questions
Which tea suits an evening of reading?
A caffeine-free one, so it doesn't disturb your sleep: herbal infusions, rooibos or fruit teas. For an afternoon read, a light green tea or a white tea also works well.
Can I bring a class to the Sakura tea house?
Yes. We run tea workshops for groups of pupils and students, adapted to their age and the theme you choose. Write to us via the contact page to arrange the details.
Which teas do teenagers usually like?
Fruit infusions, aromatic and colourful, and rooibos blends with vanilla or caramel. They are caffeine-free and can be served hot or cold.
See our other gatherings on the Press & events page.