Dinner for One

the water is boiling     pasta swims

beneath sparingly salted eruptions,

as I uncork the wine     tonight Merlot

splashes into a curved top Bordeaux  

 

the table is set     one plate, one fork,

one wax steeple with a tongue of fire,

and I wait     wait for the sauce to simmer,

a dinner for one nearly done     again

 

you linger in the scent of marinara      still

haunting a kitchen we built as lovers,

and this table keeps memories beyond food,

my hands remember as I lightly stroke the grain

Reviews

[Steven]

boiling pasta set one wait wait done again marinara still. did this person eat the other?

[Coyote Poetry]

A amazing poem. The strong description create vision and thoughts. The simple things take us back to good places and thoughts. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[Robert Tusitala O'Neill]

Your internal rhymes here have a great cadence, like "dinner for one nearly done," has such good alliteration and cadence. I love the ending. It is always important to have a good ending, but this one is especially fitting. The way the grain of the table is being stroked mimics that feeling of stroking a lover's cheek, and we need no one to tell us that because you have set the scene so well. Using the table as the hard drive of these memories is a great way to represent all that is going on in the protagonist's mind. I know this feeling all too well myself, but you made it feel all the more poignant with perfect word choice!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I love "one wax steeple with a tongue of fire." It evokes the image of prayer, and I imagine you lost in your memories, praying for things to be different. Beautiful!

[Traci]

A very bittersweet write, Sarah, beautifully written and emotionally felt throughout. What was once dinner for two has now become a nostalgic memory, and somewhat lonely evening. Well done my friend.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, my friend!

[Night]

I am humbled...yet again. You seem to always be able to take the simplest of things and write them into something remarkable!

Love this!

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

You humble me, my friend...truly!

[Kleio13]

Holy grail woman, I love this so much. The passion and the memory of the one you love.
o, and I love pasta with a passion. This is securely your pure sea of lit. And , once again I love it.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, my friend...coming from you, this means a lot!

[Kleio13]

Anytime Girl Friday. Your work is always at one of my top interests

[Dean]

If this does not pull at anyone's heart, they are not really alive.
(though mixing Bordeaux and Merlot is not a good idea....no wonder you are not a winelover! :-)

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Well, I was referring to the Bordeaux style glass...I guess I spent too much time learning about wines and glasses and such when I was cocktail waitress for a time, and I just assume that people get the jargon. lol I have always been a conundrum...a cocktail waitress that doesn't like to drink.

[Hannah]

I love the perspective you took to write this- really clever and really powerful imagery. I like how you were able to lighten the intensity of the piece through the delivery but were still able to convey the message effectively- clear talent :)

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, Hannah!

[J. J. Nightingale]

A woman's moment in time

I never liked wine ..

But it could be any meal any beverage

I talk to my memories .. cause that's We always did..

Soft and real .. with heart .. Jazz

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

I have a confession...I've never liked wine, either, but "Dr. Pepper" wouldn't have worked nearly as well in this piece ;)

[J. J. Nightingale]

Gawd I love Dr.Pepper ... You r fun !! .............:)