The Life of Flavor

[ch3cooh]

I've been working on a series of poems for a class I took this semester, a poetry workshop.  During the first half of the class, there were more specific prompts, but the assignment for the rest of the year is just to write.  I decided to write a series of poems about something about which I dane ;-)  to know a bit more than average: food, cooking, and flavor.

I'm calling the project, "The Life of Flavor" and it's hopefully going to be an interesting cookbook of sorts, where each recipe is preceded by a series of poems that describe, separately, the main flavors and ingredients of each dish.  The idea is that the impression from each poem should hold strongly enough that the reader, having read the poems in quick succession can 'taste' the dish.  :)

For example, a recipe key lime pie would be preceded by four poems on a page:  lime, cool and smooth, graham cracker, and whipped cream.  So far, I've written a poem about lime, and another about... another food (it would spoil reading the poem a bit for me to tell).  Anyway, I've posted the two poems below, and I'd love feedback.  But I'm mainly posting because I'm looking for a few people to help me write.  If you're interested, either post in response or send me an email.

Enjoy:

Poem #1:

In the sudden spotlight of the lime's first strike
your soft secret mouth recoils form the bite
and winces, bathed in a sharp, acidic spray
struggling and tearing to pull away.
Teared eyes squint closed against the blinding zest
withdrawing to darkness, warmth, sweetness, and rest
in a haven where sour melts to a sweet dazzled daze
seen through eyeglasses dipped in honeysuckle glaze.


Poem #2

Any giddy child can recognize the fresh
green zebra rind cupping the wet red flesh
as careful hands might cradle a soaked sponge.
Bite off the tip of a crisp
slice.  The tiny water bubbles pop and crunch, misting
tongue in iced sugar.
Laugh and the sweetness dribbles,
pink and sticky.  Suppressing the giggles,
to carefully spit out small black seeds.
Munching down to the pink then white rind,
firmer but still sweet, you find
that you can suck the last sugary juice from this white edge
still cold and quenching.

Comments

[feartheducks.livejournal.com]

Hehe
"you find
that you can suck the last sugary juice from this white edge"

[toastytangerine.livejournal.com]

That's a cool idea~ I really like the "eyeglasses dipped in honeysuckle glaze" bit, that's really vivid. I'd be willing to help you write, although I don't know how useful I'll be.