January 2025
Bio Note: I've been fortunate to have my poems appear in journals such as ONE ART: a journal of poetry, Quartet Journal, and The Raven’s Perch, and am looking forward having my first poetry collection, Belly Dancing in a Brown Sweatsuit, published by Kelsay Books in spring of 2025. I enjoy trying out my newest poetry on my sometimes-raucous Duxbury Poetry Circle (Duxbury, MA). They always let me know when they feel "it's soup!"
Antipasto Playground
Crank the music up to disapproval
and sashay your way,
ceramic platter in hand,
to your creation station;
inhale the intense sharp provolone,
chop, wash, spin crisp lettuce
until it has no more to surrender,
it knows when to jump off;
halve the deep scarlet cherry tomatoes
while you still smell the sun in their skin,
portion the peppers into little orange smiles
seesaw them with the naked cuke slices
tag teaming for their turn,
to negotiate the red onion maze,
not red at all, but purple,
then weave in even more raw.
Before the playground bell rings
slide in pickled components
for a spritz of exclamation, and slow
the artistic swing to a satisfying halt.
Comparison
gifts convey
what’s in your wallet,
cards express
what’s in your heart
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