Sunday, May 07, 2006
The Poems I Wrote for Napowrimo
Napowrimo (National Poetry Writing Month) takes place in April. The challenge of napowrimo is to write 30 poems in 30 days.
I wrote a series of poems. Each poem consisting of a recipe and a quote from a poem.
The Poems
(Click here for the poems with commentary)
(Click here for links to recipes and poets.)
Vegetable Soup
skanky sparrow flies in through Veronica’s kitchen window
as she heats butter and oil
in the soup pot that her grandmother gave her.
She sautés onions, carrots, and green beans for three minutes.
She adds mushrooms,
and allows it all to cook for another two minutes.
She puts in chicken stock and water, potatoes,
and seasons it with salt & pepper.
then brings it to a boil,
covered.
She reduces the heat
continues to cook it all at a gentle boil
until the potatoes are tender as her bruises
(approx. 15 minutes)
The skanky sparrow flies back out.
Veronica shuts the window.
She adds parsley just before the potatoes are cooked.
Seasons the soup to taste and eats it
as she listens to the to Sylvia Plath cassette
that she had borrowed from the library.
Suddenly, there’s a gunshot and the sound of glass breaking
And then there’s a bullet lodged in Veronica’s brain.
Lady, your room is lousy with flowers.
When you kick me out, that's what I'll remember,
Me, sitting here bored as a leopard
In your jungle of wine bottle lamps…
Artichoke Bruschetta
Tanya mixes
marinated artichoke hearts,
romano cheese,
a red onion,
and mayonnaise
in a medium sized bowl
She tops some French baguette slices
with her artichoke heart mixture,
then arranges the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
She grills the slices in a preheated oven for 2 minutes,
until their toppings are bubbly and lightly browned.
She eats a slice,
as she works on her thesis,
a post-feminist analysis of Pablo Neruda’s poetry.
Her thoughts are interrupted
by the bang of a gun shot,
and the sound of glass breaking.
"I want to do with you what spring does to cherry trees."
French Onion Soup
Carla mixes a little sugar with some butter.
She heats this sugary butter
in large heavy-based saucepan
until it (the sugary butter) is melted.
She adds sliced onions,
cooks em over a low heat.
She stirs constantly,
until the onions are golden brown.
(The Strangler’s song comes to her mind)
Gradually,
she adds beef stock
and continues to stir constantly
then brings it all to a boil.
She reduces the heat to low,
covers the saucepan
and allows the contents to simmer
for an hour.
She sits down on her sofa,
lights up a mentholated cigarette.
her harlot-red lipstick marks the cig’s butt.
She takes a swig of cognac
and begins the collected prose poetry of Charles Baudelaire.
After the hour is up,
she removes the soup from the stove.
Adds a splash of cognac
and some salt and pepper,
As she is adding the pepper,
she hears
a gun
shot and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
You have to be always drunk. That's all there is to it--it's the
only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks
your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually
drunk. But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be
drunk.
Grilled Prawns With Saffron Aioli And Asparagus
David puts down Wallace Stevens' Harmonium
and prepares a saffron aioli
by mixing mayonnaise,
garlic,
the juice of a lime,
and saffron.
He seasons the aioli to taste.
He cleans and cooks some asparagus
in salted boiling water for three minutes.
He cools the asparagus in ice water,
then drains the water.
He seasons three prawns with lime juice,
salt, pepper, and olive oil.
He grills the prawns until they are well done.
He puts some aioli in the centre of a plate,
places the prawns on the aioli and four asparagus
then adds some pinenuts and saffron for garnish.
As he eats,
he ponders upon the series of poems he is writing
wherein a woman is killed
and other people
Hear the gun
shot and the
sound of glass
breaking.
Hi! The creator too is blind,
Struggling toward his harmonious whole,
Rejecting intermediate parts,
Horrors and falsities and wrongs;
Incapable master of all force,
Too vague idealist, overwhelmed
By an afflatus that persists.
Mushroom Gratin
Joe makes mushroom gratin
by cleaning and cutting mushrooms into thin slices
which he places on a lightly buttered plate
onto which he had previously sprinkled small squares of celery and carrots.
He prepares a sauce for the gratin
by blending yolks, anchovies, lemon juice, melted butter and water
until it forms a well-creamed sauce,
then he adds parsley, salt and pepper.
He covers the mushroom and puts them in a 400 F oven
for a few minutes.
He calls his family in for dinner.
After dinner,
they discuss John Hartley William's John Bosnia.
Mary, his wife, brings up the point
that there is a parallel between
language and land in the poem.
Charlie, the middle child, is about to say something
when he and rest of the family
hear a gunshot
and the sound of
breaking glass.
We have the biggest mushrooms in the world.
If you are lucky enough to collect a basketfull
Take them home & cook them.
Wait a year or so. If you're still alive
Buy some more
Beef Strogonoff
Ivan melts butter and oil in a pan,
adds a pound of round
steak. When the beef
is browned, he removes it from the pan.
Then he adds
onions,
garlic,
mushrooms,
and then sautés it all until the onions are glazed
and clear.
Then he adds
a can of cream of chicken soup
and a can of cream of mushroom soup,
and some soy sauce,
and some worcestershire sauce.
He stirs to combine.
He adds sour cream.
Stirs some more.
Adds browned beef.
Bakes his beef strogonoff,
covered in 275 degree oven
for about two to three hours.
During this time,
this waiting time,
this time of waiting,
he reads Anna Akhmatova's Poems.
The time passes,
it goes by,
it comes around,
it ends.
And as he is about to place his beef strogonoff
onto a plate which has been covered with flat noodle pasta
He
hears a
gunshot and
the sound of break
ing glass.
I warn you, that's the way things are:
This is my final lifetime.
Not as a swallow, reed,or star,
Not as a bell to ring or chime,
Not as the water in a spring,
Not as a maple,branch or beam-
I won't alarm those who are living,
I won't appear in anyone's dream,
Unappeased and unforgiving. try again...
Irish Stew
Allanah preheats her oven to 350 degrees F.
She seasons cubed lamb shoulder with salt and pepper.
and heats a stockpot over a medium high heat,
then adds vegetable oil.
She sautes the lamb until it's golden brown.
She sets it aside.
Adds onion, carrots, and barley to the pot.
Stirs for 1 minute.
Adds chicken stock, stout, bay leaf,
and thyme to the pot.
Returns the lamb to the pot,
places potatoes on top and brings it
to a simmer.
Covers and cooks until the meat
is as tender as the lamb that gave its life,
about two hours.
As she waits,
She enjoys
The Poems of Katharine Tynan.
When the stew is done
she garnishes it with the parsley and chives.
and serves it up with guinness.
Her family are eating the stew
and chatting along merrily,when
They hear a gunshot
and the sound
of glass
breaking.
The lambs were weary, and crying
With a weak human cry...
Gnocchi
Graham brings a pot of salted water to a boil.
He drops in potatoes and cooks them until they are tender ,
He drains them,
Allows them to cool slightly,
then peels them,
and mashes them with fork.
He places the mashed potatoes in a bowl
and makes a well in the center.
Puts butter in the well and allows it (the butter) to melt.
When the mashed potatoes have cooled,
he kneads in enough of the flour to make a soft dough;
then, on a floured surface,
divides the dough into fist-sized portions,
and rolls each portion into long ropes.
He cuts the ropes into one-inch pieces.
And rolls each piece with a fork for that distinctive gnocchi texture.
Then he brings a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Drops in the gnocchi,
and cooks them until they float to the top,
then drains and serves them with a tomato sauce.
He eats as he reads
Eugenio Montale's Ossi di seppia
And as the poetry waltzes with his mind
and the sauce drips from his lips
He
hears a
gun
shot and
the
sound of
glass
breaking.
To spend the afternoon, absorbed and pale,
beside a burning garden wall;
to hear, among the stubble and the thorns,
the blackbirds cackling and the rustling snakes.
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Arthur heats oil olive in a frying pan;
he fries some garlic until it (the garlic) is a deep golden colour,
then he removes it from the pan and discards.
He adds butter and pancetta
and fries the pancetta until it starts to become crispy.
Pours in white wine, and boils rapidly to evaporate.
Stirs in cream and removes from the heat.
Cooks the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
While the spaghetti cooks,
he beats egg yolks and cheese together in a bowl,
seasons with salt and pepper.
When the spaghetti is cooked,
he reheats the bacon mixture,
drains the spaghetti
and transfers it to a warmed serving bowl.
He adds the bacon mixture
and tosses it with the spaghetti,
then pours it over the egg mixture
and tosses it all together until the spaghetti are well coated.
He sprinkles the spaghetti with parmesan,
fills up a wine glass.
and begins to eat.
As he dines,
he thinks about the class that he will giving tommorow
on the poetry of Gian Mario Villalta,
and then he hears a gun shot
and the sound of glass breaking.
Darkness comes from the window panes it comes, a slow rain.
Darkness comes into one’s hands, it brings a cold
that is not of the earth, a darkness that casts us
into the den of the world: out there, out there, into the deep maybe there is
the entire town, under a lake of darkness
and a dam of darkness between the blood that comes
to the heart and the blood that goes
divides the house from the emptiness:
on this side, a mountain of obscurity,
and on this one, a flood of darkness
by now they are gone a moon and months and entire
seasons: the bed stands, the stairs, the kitchen
with its bitter light.
Keftedakia (Mint and Ouzo Flavored Meatballs)
Tina soaks bread in the ouzo
for at least 5 minutes.
She heats olive oil in a skillet ,
over a moderate heat.
Adds onions,
stirs them frequently,
until they are soft, but not brown.
removes them with a slotted spoon,
places them in a large mixing bowl.
She squeezes the bread dry,
discards the ouzo
and adds the bread to the onions.
Then she adds
ground beef, egg, mint,
garlic oregano, salt, pepper,
and kneads it vigorously with her hands,
then beats it with a wooden spoon
until the mixture is smooth and fluffy
She shapes the beef mixture into walnut-sized balls
then she rolls the meatballs in flour to coat evenly.
She places them on a cookie sheet
and refrigerates them for at least an hour.
During this time,
She reads Manolis Anagnostakis’ poetry.
And when the hours is up,
She adds some more olive oil to a large skillet
browns the meatballs,
over high heat.
She cooks them for 10 minutes ,
shaking the pan occasionally.
When they are done,
She and husband,Moe,
eat them
and as they eat
They hear a gunshot and the sound of breaking glass
The new trumpeters come from afar
From the chosen classes of the future
Their cries demolish the decayed walls
They melt the mud into luminous streams.
The pure are coming, the non-hypocrites,
Violators, non-participants, virgins,
Crafty fellow diners, these innocents,
And the registrars of our days.
The great blaze is coming
Amid the jets of merry water.
The final proscriptions are coming
Thai Chicken Curry
Maryanne heats oil in a saucepan.
stirfries green curry paste for a minute.
Adds chicken and fish sauce.
Stir fries until chicken is done.
Adds coconut milk and brings it to aboil.
Add sweet peas and green chilies.
Cooks for 3 to 5 minutes.
Removes from heat.
Serves with rice. coconut milk, green curry paste, green chilies,
fish sauce, and the poetry of Naowarat Pongpaiboon.
As she reads to her guests,
she
hears a
gunshot and
the sound of glass
breaking
"Over the face of the earth swept weeping waters
And all the Three Worlds were flooded with tears"
Chicken And Kitty Cat Surprise
Mr Bing Bong flongs
a chicken, a kitty cat and a glunk in a large zong.
He scrabongs them
until they are as vlender as a glot.
He adds some ungalung and zysbrask
and melaps the mixture
until it is as mung as a blask.
then he vlurs in a stinch of stongalongablot.
After 5 restopolobobobobs pass,
he transmesotropes the mixture
to a warmly blutter-mazzed ook
and strongs it over a medium heat
until it is swang toolan in colour.
Then he floots it in a goolap
and floozes the goolap under the bonnet of his car,
and drives around for 3 beewoopa tangs.
When he arrives back home,
the meal is ready.
He puts it on the kitchen table.
and the chicken and the kitty cat pop up
and say,
"Surprise!"
Much to the delight
of Mr Bing Bong and his wife, Molly.
They clap their hands
like shar plooked strothers.
And Mr Bong says
"Now is a good time
to read the poetry of Camille Martin."
They take turns,
when it is Molly's turn,
They
hear a
gunshot and
the sound of glass
b
r
e
a
k
i
n
g.
monsters of our words make love in the green rain revealing to us in jerky saccades their slow color with fruit-like ratios so under the season’s leaves you lift your fingers chanting in the language of children onstage like stratospheric cardboard babies on broadway their little suns alighting gently on the foreheads of persons viewing the proscenium in separate cars passing around a bottle of subterranean flying mammal that gets tangled in my hair so that now i see the message on a mask around your eyes and somehow understand we are sequestered but still completely disoriented as we hurry across a long pedestrian bridge into hiding until we’re barely underwater peeling the skin off visible stories on the street showing to each other the blind preacher’s velvet pictures of the one word we understand — “stove”
Apple Chicken Thighs
Rhoda places curry powder in a skillet,
stirs over medium heat
until it,
the powder,
becomes slightly darker in colour
She adds chopped apple, onion, lemon juice, mushrooms, broth,
and 1 1/2 cartons of the apple juice;
brings to a boil.
Rinses chicken,
pats it dry;
adds to skillet.
Reduces heat,
covers,
and allows to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes,
She listens to Robert Frost read.
She lifts the chicken from pan;
arranges it on a warm platter.
In a 1 cup measure,
She blends flour with 1/2 a carton of apple juice.
Gradually adds to sauce in pan,
stirring;
increases heat to high and cooks,
stirring until sauce is thickened.
Pours it over chicken.
As she does so,
she hears a gun
shot and the sound
of glass breaking.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
Ranch-Style Chicken Casserole
Sam rinses a few chicken breasts;
pats them dry.
Sprinkles them with salt and pepper.
Grills them until they're cooked through;
then dices them.
He combines chopped onion, chicken, chicken broth, and tomatoes
in a saucepan over low heat
until thoroughly mixed.
He eats alone,
and reads the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks.
He hears
a gun
shot and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late.
Marinated Rosemary Chicken
Merv makes the marinade
by blending together parsley, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest,
garlic, pepper, oil and wine.
until these ingredients are mixed all together
and the mixture is smooth.
He removes the first two wing joints of a chicken
and trusses 'em with twine
so that the legs are held tightly against the bodies.
He rubs his marinade both inside the cavity and all over the outside,
making sure to get a little under the skin of the breasts.
He puts the chickens in a glass dish,
breast side up,
and packs the remaining marinade on top of the breast and around the legs.
Covers dish and marinate in refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours.
During this time,
he works on his paper
on the poetry of Jack Prelutsky
He preheats his oven to 350 degrees F
Removes chicken from marinade dish,
discards any remaining marinade.
Places chicken in a lightly greased baking dish
bakes for about 1 1/2 hours
or until chicken is no longer pink inside
and its juices run clear.
He hears a gunshot
and the sound
of glass breaking.
Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.
Spicy Australian Salmon Cutlets
Alberto mixes flour, currypower, brown sugar, tumeric, and paprika.
Pat dries six Australian salmon cutlets with towelling
and coats with the mixture until covered.
Heats pan on high and adds oil.
When oil starts smoking,
reduces heat to medium.
Fries cutlets,
turning after 5 min.
Cooks until golden brown.
Serves with soy sauce, and lemon wedges,
on a bed of steamed jasmine rice.
He eats and reads the poetry of John Kinsella
Then,
He hears
a
gunshot and
the
sound of glass break
ing.
In the gallery, he realised
there was nothing but sound: all sight
rang in his ears, and all colour
tasted like his own blood in his mouth.
Snapper En Papillote with Summer Herbs
Caroline preheats her oven to 190 C.
Seasons the snapper on both sides with salt and pepper.
Spreads on a couple of teaspoons of olive oil
Wraps it in double thick grease-proof paper parcel
Seals the parcel and cooks the fish
in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
In a saucepan,
She softens spring onions in olive oil
Stirs in herbs and serves with the fillet,
and the poetry of John Masefield
As she and her family,
enjoy the meal,
they hear a gunshot and the sound of glassbreaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
Roasted Marinated Crab
For a minute,
Nancy plunges a crab into a large pot of boiling water.
She holds it by the legs,
pulls off its shell.
She discards the gills on both sides its body
and the spongy mass in the middle of the back;
She rinse it until nothing but shell and meat show.
Then she removes the bits of greenish fat from the corners of the shell.
Rinses both the body and shell
and drains thoroughly.
She splits the body of the crab
into 2 halves with legs and claws still attached.
Carefully, she cracks each leg and claw segment with a mallet.
She places the crab in a large bowl
with the oil, ginger, garlic, chiles
and a generous grinding of pepper.
Marinates it for 3hours in the refrigerator.
She takes this time to enjoy
the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop.
15 minutes before cooking,
Nancy removes the crab from the marinade
and grills the halves and the shell over a hot fire
until the outer shells are brightred
and meat in the largest sections is opaque
She then serves the roasted marinated crab up to her sons.
They (mother and sons)
hear a gunshot and
the sound of glass breaking.
What is that big soft monster, like a yellow cloud, stifling
and warm? What is it doing? It pats my back. Out, claw. There,
I have frightened it away. It's sitting down, pretending nothing's
happened. I'll skirt it. It's still pretending not to see me. Out of
my way, O monster. I own a pool, all the little fish that swim in it,
and all the skittering waterbugs that smell like rotten apples.
Cheer up, O grievous snail. I tap your shell, encouragingly,
not that you will ever know about it.
Mexican Baked Fish.
Amanda lightly greases an 8x12 inch baking dish,
While she preheats her oven to 400 degrees F.
She rinses a few fish fillets under cold water,
then pats them dry with paper towels.
She lays the fillets side by side in the baking dish,
then pours her secret salsa over the top of the fish.
And sprinkles evenly with shredded cheese.
She tops the fish with crushed corn chips.
Bakes them, uncovered, in the preheated oven
until fish is opaque and flakes with a fork.
She serves them topped with sliced avocado , sour cream
And the poetry of María Baranda.
Her fiancé and she eat
and enjoy the poetry
When suddenly, they hear
A
Gun
Shot
And
The
Sound of glass breaking.
There was a time for the audience of the fish
and the Scribes of law and doctrine
in the hidden cadence of the calm night
appointed the gods of the waters
seeking alliance with the icicles,
the soft assault of prayers.
Seafood Fettucini
Sabrina brings a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
She adds pasta and cooks for 10 minutes
or until al dente,then drains.
In a large sauce pan,
she melts butter and saute onions and garlic until the onions are almost translucent.
She stirs in flour,
coating all of the onions well.
She gradually pours in milk,
mixing constantly.
Then stir in mushroom soup and seafood; shrimp, crabmeat, scallops
Cooks for 10mins or so.
She serves it up over pasta,
and with the poetry of Lucy Arron.
As she sucks up a strand of fettucini,
she hears
A gunshot and the sound
Of glass breaking.
I wander'd lonely as a shark,
That roams the ocean deep and wide,
When all at once I saw a shoal,
Of little fishes trying to hide,
Around the rocks, beneath the reef,
Quivering with fear as they saw my teeth.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Helen and her kids, Arnold and Martha,
preheat their oven to 350 degrees.
Helen shows them how to line a muffin pan with paper liners.
They, the kids, take turns
sifting together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt.
Then they set the mixture aside.
In a large bowl,
Arnold creams together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Martha adds two eggs,
one at a time.
Arnold beats them well,
then stirs in the vanilla.
Martha ads the flour alternately with milk;
Arnold beats the mixture well.
The children fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
Helen bakes the cupcakes until a toothpick
inserted into them comes out clean.
When the cupcakes have cooled down.
Helen and the kids frost them with chocolate frosting
Then as they devour the yummy, scrummy, chocolately chocolate cupcakes,
their faces covered in chocolate and crumbs,
they read Dr Suess’s The Lorax,
and
they hear
a
gunshot
and
the sound
of
glass breaking.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
Triffle
Sharon places sponge cake in a glass serving bowl,
covers the cake with the canned fruit.
Then prepares gelatin
and pours over fruit and cake.
She combined custard powder and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stirs in milk.Cooks until thick and creamy.
Poured it over sponge cake mixture.
Allows it to chill until it is set.
Sit down and reads John Donne.
She hears
a gun
shot and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
Yet nothing can to nothing fall,
Nor any place be empty quite ;
Therefore I think my breast hath all
Those pieces still, though they be not unite ;
And now, as broken glasses show
A hundred lesser faces, so
My rags of heart can like, wish, and adore,
But after one such love, can love no more.
Chocolate Crackles
I mix
Rice Bubbles, icing sugar, cocoa and desiccated coconut in a large bowl.
I slowly melt copha in a saucepan,
and allow it to coo slightly,
then I stir in the afore-mentioned ingredients
Using 2 teaspoons,
I spoon the mixture into 24 patty pans.
I place each chocolate crackle on a tray
and refrigerate them till they are firm.
As I wait,
I read e.e cummings.
And
I hear
a gunshot
and the sound of glass breaking.
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her
Amaretto Peach Cheesecake
Archie combines butter and sugar,
beats until light and fluffy.
Blends in a egg.
Adds a cup flour;
mixes well.
Pats the dough onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Bakes at 450°F for 10 minutes.
In a bowl,
he combines cream cheese,sugar, flour.
Mixes at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended.
Adds 3 eggs,
one at a time,
mixing well after each addition.
Adds chopped peaches and amaretto liqueur;
mixs well.
Pours over crust.
Bakes at 450°F for 10 minutes.
Reduces the oven temperature to 250°F
ands continue baking for 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Reads Robert Frost.
Then loosens the cake from the rim of the pan;
allows it cool before removing from the pan.
He hears a gunshot
and the sound of glass breaking.
Where had I heard this wind before
Change like this to a deeper roar?
What would it take my standing there for,
Holding open a restive door,
Looking down hill to a frothy shore?
Summer was past and day was past.
Somber clouds in the west were massed.
Lemon Sorbet
Julie combines lemon juice, orange juice, sugar, lemon zest,
and water in a small bowl.
She stirs until the sugar dissolves.
She covers the mixture and chills for 2 hours.
She beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.
Folds into chilled citrus mixture.
Pours the mixture into an ice cream maker and freezes it
She reads T.S.Eliot
She
hears a
gunshot and
the sound of glass
breaking.
Six o’clock.
The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
And now a gusty shower wraps
The grimy scraps
Of withered leaves about your feet
And newspapers from vacant lots;
The showers beat
On broken blinds and chimney-pots,
And at the corner of the street
A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.
Zabaglione
In a round-bottomed copper zabaglione pan,
Elizabeth combines egg yolks, sugar and salt.
She uses a wire whisk to beat
until the eggs are pale and creamy.
Slowly she whisks in some wine.
She places the pan over simmering water.
Continues to beat constantly until thick and doubled in volume.
She spoon the Zabaglione into two stemmed glasses.
One for her,
and one for partner,Alice.
Elizabeth and Alice listen to Getrude Stein
and as they listen they
hear a
gunshot
and the sound
of glass breaking.
Shutters shut and open so do queens. Shutters shut and shutters and so shutters shut and shutters and so and so shutters and so shutters shut and so shutters shut and shutters and so. And so shutters shut and so and also. And also and so and so and also. Exact resemblance to exact resemblance the exact resemblance as exact as a resemblance, exactly as resembling, exactly resembling, exactly in resemblance exactly a resemblance, exactly and resemblance. For this is so. Because. Now actively repeat at all, now actively repeat at all, now actively repeat at all.
Have hold and hear, actively repeat at all.
Harvey Wallbanger
Bill puts ice cubes in a collins glass,
then into those glasses
he pours a 4:1:0.5 ratio
of oj, galliano and vodka.
He serves these Harvey Wallbangers
up to his friends,
and has a few himself.
What d'ya reckon,
the go is with the repetition of the bullet going through the window
in the preceding poems?
asks Steve.
How should I know
snaps Bill,
I'm a character in a series
of poems,
not its author.
Well, says Jill,
I have a theory
I believe that
the repetition of the bullet going through the window
is meant to signify...
Shut up!, shut up!, shut up!
Never explain! says Edwina.
It's all just pretentious, pseudo intellectual, solipistic prose with linebreaks crap
says Herman.
The arguments continue then fade away.
Then Bill and his friends read W.C.Willams poems outloud to each other
until,
they hear
a gunshot and the sound of glass breaking.
I’ve eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Grasshopper
Pete combines
1/2oz. Green Creme de Menthe
1/2 oz. White Creme de Cacao
1/2 oz. Cream
in a blender with 1 cup of crushed ice,
blends until smooth.
Serves up in a collins glass with the poetry of April Bernhard
His friends he enjoy the cocktails and poetry
until
they hear a gunshot
and the sound of glass breaking.
I don't know about you, but I've been looking
for a narrative in which suffering makes sense.
I mean, the high wail of the woman holding her dead child,
the wail that filled the street. I mean the sudden
fatal blooms on golden skin. I mean the crack deaths,
I mean the ice-cream truck that cruided the alphabets
and sold crack to the same deedle-dee-dee tune as fudgesicles.
I mean the raw scabs of the beaten mastiff, and many other things.
Absinthe Cocktail
Simon mixes:
1 oz Absinthe
3 dashes Benedictine
2 dashes Bitters
1 oz Water
Shakes it all well with cracked ice.
Strains into a cocktail glass.
Drinks it as he reads Paul Verlaine's poetry
hears
a gunshot and the sound
of glass
breaking.
What sayst thou, traveller, of all thou saw'st afar?
On every tree hangs boredom, ripening to its fall,
Didst gather it, thou smoking yon thy sad cigar,
Black, casting an incongruous shadow on the wall?
Cosmopolitan
Angela combines
11/2 ounces Vodka
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce Cranberry juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
in a shaker with crushed ice.
Then she strains her Cosmpolitan in a rocks glass,
and drinks and reads some Anne Carson.
As she reads
she hears
a gunshot
and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
My washed rags flap on a serious grey sunset.
Suppertime, a colder wind.
Leaves huddle a bit.
Kitchen lights come on.
Little spongy mysteries of evening begin to nick open.
Macchiato
Elizabeth Cooper puts down her collected poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson
and makes herself a macchiato: a shot of expresso and three drops of milk.
The phone rings.
Elizabeth answers.
Veronica is dead.
Not murdered, as such,
but accidentally slain by a bullet
shot by a hoon who,
along with his mates,
was taking potshots at houses.
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
I wrote a series of poems. Each poem consisting of a recipe and a quote from a poem.
The Poems
(Click here for the poems with commentary)
(Click here for links to recipes and poets.)
Vegetable Soup
skanky sparrow flies in through Veronica’s kitchen window
as she heats butter and oil
in the soup pot that her grandmother gave her.
She sautés onions, carrots, and green beans for three minutes.
She adds mushrooms,
and allows it all to cook for another two minutes.
She puts in chicken stock and water, potatoes,
and seasons it with salt & pepper.
then brings it to a boil,
covered.
She reduces the heat
continues to cook it all at a gentle boil
until the potatoes are tender as her bruises
(approx. 15 minutes)
The skanky sparrow flies back out.
Veronica shuts the window.
She adds parsley just before the potatoes are cooked.
Seasons the soup to taste and eats it
as she listens to the to Sylvia Plath cassette
that she had borrowed from the library.
Suddenly, there’s a gunshot and the sound of glass breaking
And then there’s a bullet lodged in Veronica’s brain.
Lady, your room is lousy with flowers.
When you kick me out, that's what I'll remember,
Me, sitting here bored as a leopard
In your jungle of wine bottle lamps…
Artichoke Bruschetta
Tanya mixes
marinated artichoke hearts,
romano cheese,
a red onion,
and mayonnaise
in a medium sized bowl
She tops some French baguette slices
with her artichoke heart mixture,
then arranges the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
She grills the slices in a preheated oven for 2 minutes,
until their toppings are bubbly and lightly browned.
She eats a slice,
as she works on her thesis,
a post-feminist analysis of Pablo Neruda’s poetry.
Her thoughts are interrupted
by the bang of a gun shot,
and the sound of glass breaking.
"I want to do with you what spring does to cherry trees."
French Onion Soup
Carla mixes a little sugar with some butter.
She heats this sugary butter
in large heavy-based saucepan
until it (the sugary butter) is melted.
She adds sliced onions,
cooks em over a low heat.
She stirs constantly,
until the onions are golden brown.
(The Strangler’s song comes to her mind)
Gradually,
she adds beef stock
and continues to stir constantly
then brings it all to a boil.
She reduces the heat to low,
covers the saucepan
and allows the contents to simmer
for an hour.
She sits down on her sofa,
lights up a mentholated cigarette.
her harlot-red lipstick marks the cig’s butt.
She takes a swig of cognac
and begins the collected prose poetry of Charles Baudelaire.
After the hour is up,
she removes the soup from the stove.
Adds a splash of cognac
and some salt and pepper,
As she is adding the pepper,
she hears
a gun
shot and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
You have to be always drunk. That's all there is to it--it's the
only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks
your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually
drunk. But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be
drunk.
Grilled Prawns With Saffron Aioli And Asparagus
David puts down Wallace Stevens' Harmonium
and prepares a saffron aioli
by mixing mayonnaise,
garlic,
the juice of a lime,
and saffron.
He seasons the aioli to taste.
He cleans and cooks some asparagus
in salted boiling water for three minutes.
He cools the asparagus in ice water,
then drains the water.
He seasons three prawns with lime juice,
salt, pepper, and olive oil.
He grills the prawns until they are well done.
He puts some aioli in the centre of a plate,
places the prawns on the aioli and four asparagus
then adds some pinenuts and saffron for garnish.
As he eats,
he ponders upon the series of poems he is writing
wherein a woman is killed
and other people
Hear the gun
shot and the
sound of glass
breaking.
Hi! The creator too is blind,
Struggling toward his harmonious whole,
Rejecting intermediate parts,
Horrors and falsities and wrongs;
Incapable master of all force,
Too vague idealist, overwhelmed
By an afflatus that persists.
Mushroom Gratin
Joe makes mushroom gratin
by cleaning and cutting mushrooms into thin slices
which he places on a lightly buttered plate
onto which he had previously sprinkled small squares of celery and carrots.
He prepares a sauce for the gratin
by blending yolks, anchovies, lemon juice, melted butter and water
until it forms a well-creamed sauce,
then he adds parsley, salt and pepper.
He covers the mushroom and puts them in a 400 F oven
for a few minutes.
He calls his family in for dinner.
After dinner,
they discuss John Hartley William's John Bosnia.
Mary, his wife, brings up the point
that there is a parallel between
language and land in the poem.
Charlie, the middle child, is about to say something
when he and rest of the family
hear a gunshot
and the sound of
breaking glass.
We have the biggest mushrooms in the world.
If you are lucky enough to collect a basketfull
Take them home & cook them.
Wait a year or so. If you're still alive
Buy some more
Beef Strogonoff
Ivan melts butter and oil in a pan,
adds a pound of round
steak. When the beef
is browned, he removes it from the pan.
Then he adds
onions,
garlic,
mushrooms,
and then sautés it all until the onions are glazed
and clear.
Then he adds
a can of cream of chicken soup
and a can of cream of mushroom soup,
and some soy sauce,
and some worcestershire sauce.
He stirs to combine.
He adds sour cream.
Stirs some more.
Adds browned beef.
Bakes his beef strogonoff,
covered in 275 degree oven
for about two to three hours.
During this time,
this waiting time,
this time of waiting,
he reads Anna Akhmatova's Poems.
The time passes,
it goes by,
it comes around,
it ends.
And as he is about to place his beef strogonoff
onto a plate which has been covered with flat noodle pasta
He
hears a
gunshot and
the sound of break
ing glass.
I warn you, that's the way things are:
This is my final lifetime.
Not as a swallow, reed,or star,
Not as a bell to ring or chime,
Not as the water in a spring,
Not as a maple,branch or beam-
I won't alarm those who are living,
I won't appear in anyone's dream,
Unappeased and unforgiving. try again...
Irish Stew
Allanah preheats her oven to 350 degrees F.
She seasons cubed lamb shoulder with salt and pepper.
and heats a stockpot over a medium high heat,
then adds vegetable oil.
She sautes the lamb until it's golden brown.
She sets it aside.
Adds onion, carrots, and barley to the pot.
Stirs for 1 minute.
Adds chicken stock, stout, bay leaf,
and thyme to the pot.
Returns the lamb to the pot,
places potatoes on top and brings it
to a simmer.
Covers and cooks until the meat
is as tender as the lamb that gave its life,
about two hours.
As she waits,
She enjoys
The Poems of Katharine Tynan.
When the stew is done
she garnishes it with the parsley and chives.
and serves it up with guinness.
Her family are eating the stew
and chatting along merrily,when
They hear a gunshot
and the sound
of glass
breaking.
The lambs were weary, and crying
With a weak human cry...
Gnocchi
Graham brings a pot of salted water to a boil.
He drops in potatoes and cooks them until they are tender ,
He drains them,
Allows them to cool slightly,
then peels them,
and mashes them with fork.
He places the mashed potatoes in a bowl
and makes a well in the center.
Puts butter in the well and allows it (the butter) to melt.
When the mashed potatoes have cooled,
he kneads in enough of the flour to make a soft dough;
then, on a floured surface,
divides the dough into fist-sized portions,
and rolls each portion into long ropes.
He cuts the ropes into one-inch pieces.
And rolls each piece with a fork for that distinctive gnocchi texture.
Then he brings a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Drops in the gnocchi,
and cooks them until they float to the top,
then drains and serves them with a tomato sauce.
He eats as he reads
Eugenio Montale's Ossi di seppia
And as the poetry waltzes with his mind
and the sauce drips from his lips
He
hears a
gun
shot and
the
sound of
glass
breaking.
To spend the afternoon, absorbed and pale,
beside a burning garden wall;
to hear, among the stubble and the thorns,
the blackbirds cackling and the rustling snakes.
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Arthur heats oil olive in a frying pan;
he fries some garlic until it (the garlic) is a deep golden colour,
then he removes it from the pan and discards.
He adds butter and pancetta
and fries the pancetta until it starts to become crispy.
Pours in white wine, and boils rapidly to evaporate.
Stirs in cream and removes from the heat.
Cooks the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
While the spaghetti cooks,
he beats egg yolks and cheese together in a bowl,
seasons with salt and pepper.
When the spaghetti is cooked,
he reheats the bacon mixture,
drains the spaghetti
and transfers it to a warmed serving bowl.
He adds the bacon mixture
and tosses it with the spaghetti,
then pours it over the egg mixture
and tosses it all together until the spaghetti are well coated.
He sprinkles the spaghetti with parmesan,
fills up a wine glass.
and begins to eat.
As he dines,
he thinks about the class that he will giving tommorow
on the poetry of Gian Mario Villalta,
and then he hears a gun shot
and the sound of glass breaking.
Darkness comes from the window panes it comes, a slow rain.
Darkness comes into one’s hands, it brings a cold
that is not of the earth, a darkness that casts us
into the den of the world: out there, out there, into the deep maybe there is
the entire town, under a lake of darkness
and a dam of darkness between the blood that comes
to the heart and the blood that goes
divides the house from the emptiness:
on this side, a mountain of obscurity,
and on this one, a flood of darkness
by now they are gone a moon and months and entire
seasons: the bed stands, the stairs, the kitchen
with its bitter light.
Keftedakia (Mint and Ouzo Flavored Meatballs)
Tina soaks bread in the ouzo
for at least 5 minutes.
She heats olive oil in a skillet ,
over a moderate heat.
Adds onions,
stirs them frequently,
until they are soft, but not brown.
removes them with a slotted spoon,
places them in a large mixing bowl.
She squeezes the bread dry,
discards the ouzo
and adds the bread to the onions.
Then she adds
ground beef, egg, mint,
garlic oregano, salt, pepper,
and kneads it vigorously with her hands,
then beats it with a wooden spoon
until the mixture is smooth and fluffy
She shapes the beef mixture into walnut-sized balls
then she rolls the meatballs in flour to coat evenly.
She places them on a cookie sheet
and refrigerates them for at least an hour.
During this time,
She reads Manolis Anagnostakis’ poetry.
And when the hours is up,
She adds some more olive oil to a large skillet
browns the meatballs,
over high heat.
She cooks them for 10 minutes ,
shaking the pan occasionally.
When they are done,
She and husband,Moe,
eat them
and as they eat
They hear a gunshot and the sound of breaking glass
The new trumpeters come from afar
From the chosen classes of the future
Their cries demolish the decayed walls
They melt the mud into luminous streams.
The pure are coming, the non-hypocrites,
Violators, non-participants, virgins,
Crafty fellow diners, these innocents,
And the registrars of our days.
The great blaze is coming
Amid the jets of merry water.
The final proscriptions are coming
Thai Chicken Curry
Maryanne heats oil in a saucepan.
stirfries green curry paste for a minute.
Adds chicken and fish sauce.
Stir fries until chicken is done.
Adds coconut milk and brings it to aboil.
Add sweet peas and green chilies.
Cooks for 3 to 5 minutes.
Removes from heat.
Serves with rice. coconut milk, green curry paste, green chilies,
fish sauce, and the poetry of Naowarat Pongpaiboon.
As she reads to her guests,
she
hears a
gunshot and
the sound of glass
breaking
"Over the face of the earth swept weeping waters
And all the Three Worlds were flooded with tears"
Chicken And Kitty Cat Surprise
Mr Bing Bong flongs
a chicken, a kitty cat and a glunk in a large zong.
He scrabongs them
until they are as vlender as a glot.
He adds some ungalung and zysbrask
and melaps the mixture
until it is as mung as a blask.
then he vlurs in a stinch of stongalongablot.
After 5 restopolobobobobs pass,
he transmesotropes the mixture
to a warmly blutter-mazzed ook
and strongs it over a medium heat
until it is swang toolan in colour.
Then he floots it in a goolap
and floozes the goolap under the bonnet of his car,
and drives around for 3 beewoopa tangs.
When he arrives back home,
the meal is ready.
He puts it on the kitchen table.
and the chicken and the kitty cat pop up
and say,
"Surprise!"
Much to the delight
of Mr Bing Bong and his wife, Molly.
They clap their hands
like shar plooked strothers.
And Mr Bong says
"Now is a good time
to read the poetry of Camille Martin."
They take turns,
when it is Molly's turn,
They
hear a
gunshot and
the sound of glass
b
r
e
a
k
i
n
g.
monsters of our words make love in the green rain revealing to us in jerky saccades their slow color with fruit-like ratios so under the season’s leaves you lift your fingers chanting in the language of children onstage like stratospheric cardboard babies on broadway their little suns alighting gently on the foreheads of persons viewing the proscenium in separate cars passing around a bottle of subterranean flying mammal that gets tangled in my hair so that now i see the message on a mask around your eyes and somehow understand we are sequestered but still completely disoriented as we hurry across a long pedestrian bridge into hiding until we’re barely underwater peeling the skin off visible stories on the street showing to each other the blind preacher’s velvet pictures of the one word we understand — “stove”
Apple Chicken Thighs
Rhoda places curry powder in a skillet,
stirs over medium heat
until it,
the powder,
becomes slightly darker in colour
She adds chopped apple, onion, lemon juice, mushrooms, broth,
and 1 1/2 cartons of the apple juice;
brings to a boil.
Rinses chicken,
pats it dry;
adds to skillet.
Reduces heat,
covers,
and allows to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes,
She listens to Robert Frost read.
She lifts the chicken from pan;
arranges it on a warm platter.
In a 1 cup measure,
She blends flour with 1/2 a carton of apple juice.
Gradually adds to sauce in pan,
stirring;
increases heat to high and cooks,
stirring until sauce is thickened.
Pours it over chicken.
As she does so,
she hears a gun
shot and the sound
of glass breaking.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
Ranch-Style Chicken Casserole
Sam rinses a few chicken breasts;
pats them dry.
Sprinkles them with salt and pepper.
Grills them until they're cooked through;
then dices them.
He combines chopped onion, chicken, chicken broth, and tomatoes
in a saucepan over low heat
until thoroughly mixed.
He eats alone,
and reads the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks.
He hears
a gun
shot and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late.
Marinated Rosemary Chicken
Merv makes the marinade
by blending together parsley, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest,
garlic, pepper, oil and wine.
until these ingredients are mixed all together
and the mixture is smooth.
He removes the first two wing joints of a chicken
and trusses 'em with twine
so that the legs are held tightly against the bodies.
He rubs his marinade both inside the cavity and all over the outside,
making sure to get a little under the skin of the breasts.
He puts the chickens in a glass dish,
breast side up,
and packs the remaining marinade on top of the breast and around the legs.
Covers dish and marinate in refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours.
During this time,
he works on his paper
on the poetry of Jack Prelutsky
He preheats his oven to 350 degrees F
Removes chicken from marinade dish,
discards any remaining marinade.
Places chicken in a lightly greased baking dish
bakes for about 1 1/2 hours
or until chicken is no longer pink inside
and its juices run clear.
He hears a gunshot
and the sound
of glass breaking.
Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.
Spicy Australian Salmon Cutlets
Alberto mixes flour, currypower, brown sugar, tumeric, and paprika.
Pat dries six Australian salmon cutlets with towelling
and coats with the mixture until covered.
Heats pan on high and adds oil.
When oil starts smoking,
reduces heat to medium.
Fries cutlets,
turning after 5 min.
Cooks until golden brown.
Serves with soy sauce, and lemon wedges,
on a bed of steamed jasmine rice.
He eats and reads the poetry of John Kinsella
Then,
He hears
a
gunshot and
the
sound of glass break
ing.
In the gallery, he realised
there was nothing but sound: all sight
rang in his ears, and all colour
tasted like his own blood in his mouth.
Snapper En Papillote with Summer Herbs
Caroline preheats her oven to 190 C.
Seasons the snapper on both sides with salt and pepper.
Spreads on a couple of teaspoons of olive oil
Wraps it in double thick grease-proof paper parcel
Seals the parcel and cooks the fish
in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
In a saucepan,
She softens spring onions in olive oil
Stirs in herbs and serves with the fillet,
and the poetry of John Masefield
As she and her family,
enjoy the meal,
they hear a gunshot and the sound of glassbreaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
Roasted Marinated Crab
For a minute,
Nancy plunges a crab into a large pot of boiling water.
She holds it by the legs,
pulls off its shell.
She discards the gills on both sides its body
and the spongy mass in the middle of the back;
She rinse it until nothing but shell and meat show.
Then she removes the bits of greenish fat from the corners of the shell.
Rinses both the body and shell
and drains thoroughly.
She splits the body of the crab
into 2 halves with legs and claws still attached.
Carefully, she cracks each leg and claw segment with a mallet.
She places the crab in a large bowl
with the oil, ginger, garlic, chiles
and a generous grinding of pepper.
Marinates it for 3hours in the refrigerator.
She takes this time to enjoy
the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop.
15 minutes before cooking,
Nancy removes the crab from the marinade
and grills the halves and the shell over a hot fire
until the outer shells are brightred
and meat in the largest sections is opaque
She then serves the roasted marinated crab up to her sons.
They (mother and sons)
hear a gunshot and
the sound of glass breaking.
What is that big soft monster, like a yellow cloud, stifling
and warm? What is it doing? It pats my back. Out, claw. There,
I have frightened it away. It's sitting down, pretending nothing's
happened. I'll skirt it. It's still pretending not to see me. Out of
my way, O monster. I own a pool, all the little fish that swim in it,
and all the skittering waterbugs that smell like rotten apples.
Cheer up, O grievous snail. I tap your shell, encouragingly,
not that you will ever know about it.
Mexican Baked Fish.
Amanda lightly greases an 8x12 inch baking dish,
While she preheats her oven to 400 degrees F.
She rinses a few fish fillets under cold water,
then pats them dry with paper towels.
She lays the fillets side by side in the baking dish,
then pours her secret salsa over the top of the fish.
And sprinkles evenly with shredded cheese.
She tops the fish with crushed corn chips.
Bakes them, uncovered, in the preheated oven
until fish is opaque and flakes with a fork.
She serves them topped with sliced avocado , sour cream
And the poetry of María Baranda.
Her fiancé and she eat
and enjoy the poetry
When suddenly, they hear
A
Gun
Shot
And
The
Sound of glass breaking.
There was a time for the audience of the fish
and the Scribes of law and doctrine
in the hidden cadence of the calm night
appointed the gods of the waters
seeking alliance with the icicles,
the soft assault of prayers.
Seafood Fettucini
Sabrina brings a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
She adds pasta and cooks for 10 minutes
or until al dente,then drains.
In a large sauce pan,
she melts butter and saute onions and garlic until the onions are almost translucent.
She stirs in flour,
coating all of the onions well.
She gradually pours in milk,
mixing constantly.
Then stir in mushroom soup and seafood; shrimp, crabmeat, scallops
Cooks for 10mins or so.
She serves it up over pasta,
and with the poetry of Lucy Arron.
As she sucks up a strand of fettucini,
she hears
A gunshot and the sound
Of glass breaking.
I wander'd lonely as a shark,
That roams the ocean deep and wide,
When all at once I saw a shoal,
Of little fishes trying to hide,
Around the rocks, beneath the reef,
Quivering with fear as they saw my teeth.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Helen and her kids, Arnold and Martha,
preheat their oven to 350 degrees.
Helen shows them how to line a muffin pan with paper liners.
They, the kids, take turns
sifting together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt.
Then they set the mixture aside.
In a large bowl,
Arnold creams together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Martha adds two eggs,
one at a time.
Arnold beats them well,
then stirs in the vanilla.
Martha ads the flour alternately with milk;
Arnold beats the mixture well.
The children fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
Helen bakes the cupcakes until a toothpick
inserted into them comes out clean.
When the cupcakes have cooled down.
Helen and the kids frost them with chocolate frosting
Then as they devour the yummy, scrummy, chocolately chocolate cupcakes,
their faces covered in chocolate and crumbs,
they read Dr Suess’s The Lorax,
and
they hear
a
gunshot
and
the sound
of
glass breaking.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
Triffle
Sharon places sponge cake in a glass serving bowl,
covers the cake with the canned fruit.
Then prepares gelatin
and pours over fruit and cake.
She combined custard powder and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stirs in milk.Cooks until thick and creamy.
Poured it over sponge cake mixture.
Allows it to chill until it is set.
Sit down and reads John Donne.
She hears
a gun
shot and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
Yet nothing can to nothing fall,
Nor any place be empty quite ;
Therefore I think my breast hath all
Those pieces still, though they be not unite ;
And now, as broken glasses show
A hundred lesser faces, so
My rags of heart can like, wish, and adore,
But after one such love, can love no more.
Chocolate Crackles
I mix
Rice Bubbles, icing sugar, cocoa and desiccated coconut in a large bowl.
I slowly melt copha in a saucepan,
and allow it to coo slightly,
then I stir in the afore-mentioned ingredients
Using 2 teaspoons,
I spoon the mixture into 24 patty pans.
I place each chocolate crackle on a tray
and refrigerate them till they are firm.
As I wait,
I read e.e cummings.
And
I hear
a gunshot
and the sound of glass breaking.
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her
Amaretto Peach Cheesecake
Archie combines butter and sugar,
beats until light and fluffy.
Blends in a egg.
Adds a cup flour;
mixes well.
Pats the dough onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Bakes at 450°F for 10 minutes.
In a bowl,
he combines cream cheese,sugar, flour.
Mixes at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended.
Adds 3 eggs,
one at a time,
mixing well after each addition.
Adds chopped peaches and amaretto liqueur;
mixs well.
Pours over crust.
Bakes at 450°F for 10 minutes.
Reduces the oven temperature to 250°F
ands continue baking for 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Reads Robert Frost.
Then loosens the cake from the rim of the pan;
allows it cool before removing from the pan.
He hears a gunshot
and the sound of glass breaking.
Where had I heard this wind before
Change like this to a deeper roar?
What would it take my standing there for,
Holding open a restive door,
Looking down hill to a frothy shore?
Summer was past and day was past.
Somber clouds in the west were massed.
Lemon Sorbet
Julie combines lemon juice, orange juice, sugar, lemon zest,
and water in a small bowl.
She stirs until the sugar dissolves.
She covers the mixture and chills for 2 hours.
She beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.
Folds into chilled citrus mixture.
Pours the mixture into an ice cream maker and freezes it
She reads T.S.Eliot
She
hears a
gunshot and
the sound of glass
breaking.
Six o’clock.
The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
And now a gusty shower wraps
The grimy scraps
Of withered leaves about your feet
And newspapers from vacant lots;
The showers beat
On broken blinds and chimney-pots,
And at the corner of the street
A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.
Zabaglione
In a round-bottomed copper zabaglione pan,
Elizabeth combines egg yolks, sugar and salt.
She uses a wire whisk to beat
until the eggs are pale and creamy.
Slowly she whisks in some wine.
She places the pan over simmering water.
Continues to beat constantly until thick and doubled in volume.
She spoon the Zabaglione into two stemmed glasses.
One for her,
and one for partner,Alice.
Elizabeth and Alice listen to Getrude Stein
and as they listen they
hear a
gunshot
and the sound
of glass breaking.
Shutters shut and open so do queens. Shutters shut and shutters and so shutters shut and shutters and so and so shutters and so shutters shut and so shutters shut and shutters and so. And so shutters shut and so and also. And also and so and so and also. Exact resemblance to exact resemblance the exact resemblance as exact as a resemblance, exactly as resembling, exactly resembling, exactly in resemblance exactly a resemblance, exactly and resemblance. For this is so. Because. Now actively repeat at all, now actively repeat at all, now actively repeat at all.
Have hold and hear, actively repeat at all.
Harvey Wallbanger
Bill puts ice cubes in a collins glass,
then into those glasses
he pours a 4:1:0.5 ratio
of oj, galliano and vodka.
He serves these Harvey Wallbangers
up to his friends,
and has a few himself.
What d'ya reckon,
the go is with the repetition of the bullet going through the window
in the preceding poems?
asks Steve.
How should I know
snaps Bill,
I'm a character in a series
of poems,
not its author.
Well, says Jill,
I have a theory
I believe that
the repetition of the bullet going through the window
is meant to signify...
Shut up!, shut up!, shut up!
Never explain! says Edwina.
It's all just pretentious, pseudo intellectual, solipistic prose with linebreaks crap
says Herman.
The arguments continue then fade away.
Then Bill and his friends read W.C.Willams poems outloud to each other
until,
they hear
a gunshot and the sound of glass breaking.
I’ve eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Grasshopper
Pete combines
1/2oz. Green Creme de Menthe
1/2 oz. White Creme de Cacao
1/2 oz. Cream
in a blender with 1 cup of crushed ice,
blends until smooth.
Serves up in a collins glass with the poetry of April Bernhard
His friends he enjoy the cocktails and poetry
until
they hear a gunshot
and the sound of glass breaking.
I don't know about you, but I've been looking
for a narrative in which suffering makes sense.
I mean, the high wail of the woman holding her dead child,
the wail that filled the street. I mean the sudden
fatal blooms on golden skin. I mean the crack deaths,
I mean the ice-cream truck that cruided the alphabets
and sold crack to the same deedle-dee-dee tune as fudgesicles.
I mean the raw scabs of the beaten mastiff, and many other things.
Absinthe Cocktail
Simon mixes:
1 oz Absinthe
3 dashes Benedictine
2 dashes Bitters
1 oz Water
Shakes it all well with cracked ice.
Strains into a cocktail glass.
Drinks it as he reads Paul Verlaine's poetry
hears
a gunshot and the sound
of glass
breaking.
What sayst thou, traveller, of all thou saw'st afar?
On every tree hangs boredom, ripening to its fall,
Didst gather it, thou smoking yon thy sad cigar,
Black, casting an incongruous shadow on the wall?
Cosmopolitan
Angela combines
11/2 ounces Vodka
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce Cranberry juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
in a shaker with crushed ice.
Then she strains her Cosmpolitan in a rocks glass,
and drinks and reads some Anne Carson.
As she reads
she hears
a gunshot
and
the sound
of glass
breaking.
My washed rags flap on a serious grey sunset.
Suppertime, a colder wind.
Leaves huddle a bit.
Kitchen lights come on.
Little spongy mysteries of evening begin to nick open.
Macchiato
Elizabeth Cooper puts down her collected poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson
and makes herself a macchiato: a shot of expresso and three drops of milk.
The phone rings.
Elizabeth answers.
Veronica is dead.
Not murdered, as such,
but accidentally slain by a bullet
shot by a hoon who,
along with his mates,
was taking potshots at houses.
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
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