Me and mother chop onions
At the kitchen sink
It is a quiet occupation
Our faces set
No need for words
Hands busy
Hardened through years of peeling
The window is chipped
Three tiny holes
The curtains long since torn down
Alice sleeps
Curled up in a ball
In a little chair by the fire
Her breathing is steady and gentle
Like waves
She ate a sandwich and pea soup
She declared it was not as good as tea and cake
We gather up the parts we have have made
It really is like unwrapping a soul
The air is pungent
But inviting
For a second we think the moment could not be improved
Mother chews her lip
It is her way of thinking
I try not to delve too deep
I would rather be an apple than an onion
When we have finished we sit at the table
Without work we struggle to feel each other
But we are together
Perhaps that is what counts
The onions bubble
Soon we will eat soup and sleep.
This is WONDERFUL. I can see it all. I especially love "It is really like unwrapping a soul" and "I would rather be an apple than an onion." The two women, struggling to feel each other, yet being there together, which is sometimes all we can do, and enough, for now.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we are each a vegetable or a seasoning in the stew — different, but a whole. I will be a carrot. :)
ReplyDeleteFunny how preparing food together can bond us ... at least for as long as it is happening. You took me back to many such occasions.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful painting I have now of a simple moment in time of sharing thoughts and working together. Thank you for planting this into my imagination.
ReplyDeleteThis was so calming. It was a blessing of onions (love of which I inherited from my father).
ReplyDeleteI do love the comfort of your tale... maybe sometimes Alice needs her sleep as well while you have soup with your mother.
ReplyDeletequiet comfort, preparing a meal and in the quiet, tiny details become noticeable and your mind wanders. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a companionship in preparing food together that creates a peaceful atmosphere, well described in your poem.
ReplyDeleteI loved this Jae. It seemed to allow us read far more into the poetry as though it was a memory of the long gone past. However best of all for me was Alice being there too, your constant companion in most of you writing.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing piece of writing Jae. Alice's wonderland and your bringing it up to date make for some intriguing images for us to imagine. To provide a modern setting (rather than down the rabbit hole) made it even more delightful
ReplyDeleteI was sure I had commented earlier but it didn't show and as I had commeneted on so many others I couldn't remember what I said! Then my second comments appears. So regard my second comment a from my twin brother I haven't talked about (that doesn't exist!).
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