SITTING WITH MY BOOK BEFORE LUNCH

 

SITTING WITH MY BOOK BEFORE LUNCH

My fingers smell like cilantro

something from nothing

like celery, like green onions

My fingers smell like compost

and they’ve been there

deep into all that’s rich

in browns and greens this knowing

this remembering so clearly

on these fingers these earth

places, the soil and the body

these smells from the sea

the salt of it all in the salads

for Karen the crab and the shrimp

and everything tossed

in the garlic

rimmed around the bowl

all of it storming the nostrils

only part of this reaching me

the most beautifully titled movie

ever made must--

oh! even that word--

must be

The Scent of A Woman

Maria de los Angeles

wraps herself in a canvas

cut from a painting

All these kitchen memories

swirling through long marriage

come from my fingers

Jim Bodeen

12-13 September 2024