I walk in the house.
There’s two cups of tea on the table,
One by your hands,
Another untouched.
They’re still steaming,
Like you just made them for someone.

There’s stacks of papers shoved under things.
Your house is a mess,
And you try to cover that.
You ignore the papers
But I still see them everywhere
And then you sitting there with your cup of tea.

"Take off your coat and stay a while."
You smile at me.
I frown and look outside.
It’s snowing outside,
A blizzard,
But you haven’t turned on the heat
And you’re walking around in shorts.

I look back at the tea
And you
Two cups of tea, freshly made
And I walked in without warning
That tea can’t be for me.

You must have been expecting someone
Before I walked in without warning.
Maybe that someone will come soon
And be angry for my intrusion.

"Is the fire too warm? I'll turn it down.
I could bring you some warm broth,
Or some hot cocoa.
Whatever you need,
But you need to tell me."

I look at you and blink.
The fire is warm, very warm and comforting
I’ve always loved to sit by a fire.
But why do you only have heat in that
One part of your house?

Warm broth and hot cocoa
Both sound wonderful.
But if you get up to prepare that for me
Maybe your tea will get cold,
And your guest won’t get a warm drink
Whenever they come.
And I,
The uninvited stranger,
Will be eating the food you may need
If the weather outside gets worse,
And you can’t get to the store.

I look out the window,
Expecting your guest.
You look too.
Maybe he’s late,
And he could show up any minute,
Wanting the time you promised him.

"Um, would you like to sit down?"
I glance at the chair.
I don’t have the heart to tell you
It’s covered in papers.
So instead I shake my head.

"Well, do something!"
I wince, narrowing my eyes.
You’re right, you’re the host,
And I the guest,
And what point is there in staying
And doing nothing
When you’re expecting someone else?
You look ready to die,
I must have done something else wrong.

Your guest wouldn’t appreciate me putting you
In such an awful mood
Before he even arrives.

"Why can't you just remove your coat?
Don't you know how insulting that is?"
I wince again.

Maybe I could come back later
After your guest has gone,
When you’re not so on edge waiting for him.

Maybe I could make my entrance better,
Buy you some cookies,
Maybe a warm blanket for your cold house,
And offer them to you
When I walk through that door a second time.

I sigh.
I hate to leave,
But no one appreciates
An uninvited stranger.

I don’t want to make you regret
Giving me a moment of rest on my journey.
I’ll come back at a better time
And I’ll repay you then.

I leave your house.
It’s all I can think of on the road
As I head to the store
To buy you all I can afford
To make your house look nice again.

Maybe someday you’ll tell me
That second cup of tea
Had always been for your
Uninvited stranger.