Here is another poem for National Poetry Month by Barbara Crooker from her book MORE. I posted a poem in February from this lovely book. Here is the link: https://www.menupause.info/archives/21748, and I have permission to post another poem. I picked this one because my blog/website is mostly about food and health, so “Ode to Olive Oil” seems like a perfect choice!
ODE TO OLIVE OIL
From hard green drupes
of bitter flesh, a river
of gold and green— From
trees bent like old women
whose leaves flash
olive drab to silver
in the hot breeze,
a bowlful of summer—
The transmutation:
flesh of the tree to liquid amber—
Picked by hand, collected in nets,
the willow baskets fill with fruit,
spill into wooden boxes,
are crushed between wheels
of stone, pits and all.
You can marry it with aceto balsamico
to dress your salad, gilding emerald
and ruby leaves— You can ladle
it on white beans and sage, drizzle
it on sun-warm tomatoes, lace it
in minestrone, bathe garlic heads
for roasting. You can make it
into soap, rub it with mint leaves
for migraine. Take a spoonful
to prevent hangover. Mash
it with rosemary and all the pain
is gone from creaky knees.
Velvet on the tongue. The light
of late afternoons. I am eating
sunshine, spread on bread;
primroses open in my mouth.
My chin gleams yellow,
the opposite of a halo,
but one surely even the saints
would recognize and bless.
ALl of Barbara’s wonderful poetry books are available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/193619600X/?tag=barbaracrooke-20 and possibly in local book stores or directly from Barbara: bcrooker@ptd.net.
MORE is published by C&R Press in Chattanooga, TN (2010) and costs $14.95. Their website is: www.crpress.org.
P.S. I love the abstract cover, especially the vibrant colors. The artist is Marilyn Banner: http://www.marilynbanner.com/.
Had delicious, fresh, soft crust olive 🥖
yesterday. GREAT! 👍