Poetry Friday-The Chef and the Poet

Sometimes poets like to compare things. Often they write about the simple and familiar things of this world in order to alert the reader to new perspectives and possibilities. A thing that is familiar might be used to highlight a connection to something else...


And so, as I sat in my favourite Italian cafe, 'Il Piccolo,' writing in my notebook while sipping on a morning coffee, I began to ponder on the connection between the work of my friend, Joshua,  the chef and me, the poet. This is what emerged...

A TASTE FOR POETRY

A poem for Joshua Noonan

The chef and the poet are makers

The knife and the pen

The tools of their creation

Each held deftly in the hand

The chef adds a pinch of pepper to season the soup

The poet adds a dash of word lightning to end the line

Each in their own way,

Make splendid use of ingredients

-herbs and spices

-rhythm and rhyme

Metaphor, simile

Sage and thyme

Flavour and tang

Infuse the mix

Juicy verbs fraternize

The source delights

Words spill across the page

With deliberate intent
Sweet aromas mingle
Zesty ingredients impart flavour

Plate and page 
Reveal the magical outcomes

Of these creative pursuits

The chef and the poet are makers.

Alan j Wright