“To hold in the hands like a cup of tea, always full and always empty, the earthy asymmetry of the world.”
The poem's author reflects on the unfairness in this world where people live in different classes. For instance, the narrator references the cup of tea, in which others walk away with a full cup while others remain with empty cups. The full cup of tea represents the powerful men and women in society who can manipulate the poor. The narrator says that the earth is asymmetric, which represents the irregularities that exist among different classes of people living on earth.
“To the empty cup containing everything to warm it with the tea.”
The unevenness of the earth is representing by people who lead different kinds of lifestyles. The poor people depend on the well-off individuals to put food on their table. According to the narrator, the empty cup is only warmed with tea. Therefore, poor people are equated to an empty cup filled with tea to get warm. Similarly, the reader can relate tea to the basic needs an individual needs to survive on earth.
"In a house with such a blue roof, she said with red hair; you would wake up cheerful every morning."
The house with a blue roof represents a homestead that has all the essentials and luxuries that an individual needs to be happy on earth. The description of the house with a blue roof in Japan depicts the availability of what a man needs to be joyous in life. The narrator says that a person waking up in the house with a blue roof is always cheerful.
