This month our theme was wabi-sabi — a Japanese concept recognizing and honoring impermanence and imperfection — in us and in our earthly lives. The Zoom call with my poetry sisters was long and meandering and, if you must know, a bit fumbling and imperfect. As was the practice of writing this poem itself. So meta.
My draft (below) is in honor of my dad — a subtle and exquisite cook-without-a-cookbook kind of cook…
Kitchen Wabi-Sabi
By Liz Garton Scanlon
My dad, when he still
had his eyesight,
read cookbooks
and then cooked
without them
heating the oil
crushing the garlic
adding the salt
with gutsy abandon,
simmering and searing
to a timer
of his own making
following his own
loose lead, dancing
backwards
without assurances
that his foot would land
as intended
and the meals – each taste
a soft-shoe on the tongue –
well worth that risk
To read more imperfect poetry, visit:
Laura
Tanita
Sara
Mary Lee
Tricia
Kelly
And our very own Tricia is the Poetry Friday host, too!
As for next month? We’re writing haiku (it’s the heat of summer, please forgive our brevity) that resemble classified ads or Buy Nothing Group posts. Fun, right? Please join us — we love it when you do!
