Poetry And Food

Photograph by Kathleen Tyler Conklin

Food is essential for life.  Some say poetry is too.  Eating can be as simple, forthright and easy as peeling a banana and wolfing (eating in an animal-like way) it down.  No fuss, no prep, no presentation.  But food can also be cooked carefully and lovingly and presented artfully.  Pretty as a picture. Good enough to eat. Then food is an expression of concern and care and becomes an art form.  A poetic cheeseburger.  Probably not.  But an artfully arranged and garnished plate of succulent scallops delights the eye, stimulates the salivary glands and satisfies the hunger of the belly and a soul starved for sensual pleasure. Whew!  I wax poetic.

Writing poetry in response to the creative urge is also a medium for expression.  Reading poetry is an enjoyable experience and feeds the soul.

Imagine gathering at the table for a feast.(Not hard to do since Thanksgiving is upon us.) It is a sensory pleasure, but also a time (hopefully) of conviviality, congeniality and the flow of friendship. Imagine gathering around a table to read poetry.  It can arouse the same emotions, challenge the mind and satisfy the soul. I see many similarities. Bringing food and poetry together seems appropriate. Enjoy my food poem.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  Savor your meal and after dinner before you nod off…read a poem.

Second Serving

Mother made the potato salad

early in the morning

with raw eggs and cream,

her special recipe.

We five ate it later that day

from the trunk of the car

for lunch.

Then all the August afternoon

we wandered through the exhibits,

the animal stalls,

taking in the smells, colors and noises

of the late summer fair.

We returned for supper

to un-iced food

in the hot trunk

to eat

more of Mother's Potato Salad

Salad to die for--- which

by some unlikely miracle

we didn't.