Curry

I could not have not found 

A more becoming recreation,

Or could I?

The recipe was not delusive,

But I had improvised just in case.

All the jars of spices 

sat idle on the marble counter,

Or so it seemed to the non-culinary eye.

Chopped cubes of sweet tomatoes,

For a kind heart

Coriander leaves 

For zealous, bright eyes

Curry and mustard seeds

For an affinity for music

A spoonful of cumin

For curiosity and a thirst for knowledge

And a pinch of nutmeg powder

for hilarity and glee

And maybe a small fit of belly-buckling laughter.

Chilli pepper flakes 

For prudent passion

And a can of coconut milk

For the soft, dimpled skin

Of the small hands I will hold and swing

As we stroll to the mini market.

An oddly delightful spring morning 

Squandered in vain.

A realm of stark blue and cream white

Spread on the canvas of my window pane

Neglected and taken for granted.

An offer of amity

With a friend or two

Dismissed, phone unanswered

A cup of tea never ordered

Fascinating gossip unheard

Isn't it absurd?

All for the incentive

Of mixing ingredients in a bowl

Fresh greens plucked from our backyard

And a dash, a tiny dash

Of magic and deliberation

To sate the appetite and aspiration

To reanimate the life,

And lull the grief-stricken heart

Of a barren wife.

Author's Note

Image: Bouquet Garnie
Artist: Timothy Easton

Reviews

[Agyani]

It's fascinating how you have likened various ingredients to emotions. Maybe you thought long and hard about the analogies, maybe you just went with the flow. Whatever the case, you've done a remarkable job. The bit about the can of coconut milk made me smile. :)
Having said that, I could never imagine how you would take the poem further and show the sorrowful condition and pain of the cook. Really hit me hard.

P.S. - The first thought that sprung to mind while reading the poem was whether life and the way we live it is similar to cooking. Using experiences and values as the main ingredients and adding emotions as the spices and herbs, with a bit of seasoning of friendly chatter and conversations or other influences like books and other forms of art and media. I wonder if that thought came to your mind as well while writing? :D

[YouoweYoupay]

Hi, Agyani. I'm always happy to read your reviews. I like to leave the interpretation of the poem for the reader, (that's your job *cough*) But I also enjoy hearing the readers thoughts out loud. Yes, our life is very similar to cooking. Actually, I often wonder if God enjoyed creating us and molding our souls and characters. Did he have fun? Did he fall in love with his creation? Was it like preparing a delicious and heart-warming meal?

Thanks for stopping by.

[Agyani]

I think he did enjoy it, yes. And if he did enjoy it so much, why would he not want to create more meals? We can't really be alone in the universe, can we?
When I say this I'm not implying that God created all life and everything is because that's how He made it so. Just going along with that tangent that erupted due to our musings. ;)

[Weeping willow]

You make even the words sound yummy, my what a nicely worded piece ;-]

[YouoweYoupay]

Thank you for your kind review.

[StarNinja]

I've heard of the language of flowers, but the language of food? O.o
There was more going on in this poem than first met the eye. It will take me a few reads to grasp it, I think, but it was a joy to read all the same! Keep it up, Rain!

[YouoweYoupay]

Hi, Dan. It's always good to see you on my page. I will be reading you soon. Thanks for stopping by.

[barleygirl]

I love to write about cooking and here you've done it with high originality. Great way to attach meaning to the ingredients (I have to admit, I was NOT visualizing what the combination of ingredients might go together to become, instead I was more arrested by the individual meanings you bestowed on each, this part was too distracting for me to focus on whatever recipe was being born). Your writing goes outside the dots in a few place, for example your use of title (awe-inspiring word crafting, but I'm not sure exactly how it relates . . . tongue-in-cheek?) Anyhow, I love to see writing in a vein I've done many times & I'm being shown new ways to do this (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[YouoweYoupay]

Thank you for taking the time to share your review with me. I enjoyed writing this poem because I love cooking and I am also very interested in disenchanted parenthood.