Sunday, July 3, 2011

Cooking is Like Poetry

I've been enjoying this blog thing for the past year now.

I hope you have, too.

So far I've tossed out a plethora of cooking hints, a bevy of kitchen tips, several top ten lists, a smidgen of prose, a wiseguy remark or two...heck, I even tried my hand at some food photography (http://bit.ly/ih1gUF).

But there's one thing I haven't tackled yet:

Poetry.

And if you think about it, cooking is a lot like poetry.

Really. It is.

Except you don't use any vowels or consonants. Unless, of course, you're making alphabet soup.

But I've always been a great admirer of the celebrated poets: Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Theodor Geisel...

And especially Emily Dickinson.  Or was that Eric Dickerson? (Which one played for the Colts?)

So here's my first attempt at culinary poetry. I've used a classic format to build on (you may recognize it). So pour yourself a steaming cup of tea and snuggle up beside a warm fire.

And if you don't have a fireplace, throw a few ribs on the grill and pop open a beer. It's all good... Now, onto the poems:

FLOWERS IN THE KITCHEN

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Cooking is like poetry.
Except when it's not.


Okay. Enough with the wise cracks.

It was a first try.

This one, a culinary haiku, should be better:

BEANS

If we eat baked beans
Trust me, no one will wonder
If we ate baked beans

No good?

Let's forget the Orient.

How bout a stab at some poetry from my peeps. The Irish. And I'm talking limericks:

THE BREAD TRUCK MAN

Old Seamus hailed from Delbruck
He drove a Wonderbread truck
One fine day he wrecked
His boss gave him heck                        
Said Seamus, "I don't give a f**k".

I think I'm getting in the zone here.

Wrestling down the muse.

Or maybe it's the third scotch kicking in.

Either way. I'm digging this poetry thing. Here's one more:

SOMETIMES DINING, LIKE LOVE, HURTS

"What should I make for dinner," she asked
As they donned black leather and masks.

"Just whip up something nice today
While I pour a Marquis de Chardonnay."

Killer. I know.

And here's another.

This one is called...no wait. I just got an e-mail from YouTooCouldBeAFamousPoet.com. They want to publish my poems in their next anthology! And it will only cost me a few hundred bucks. Boo-yeah!

While I'm getting back to them, do you have any cooking poems you think our readers might enjoy? Bring 'em on!

And while you're at it. What say we open another bottle of Chardonnay? I'll get the masks...

20 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more. Great post!

    Dropping by from Luxury Indulgence

    ReplyDelete
  2. My youngest has added her poetry to my blog and is very proud of being published. She is itching to add more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome - I prefer limericks to haikus HAHA

    ReplyDelete
  4. Keep drinking the scotch Warren! LOL.
    What about songs?

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Jenny. Thanks, again for stopping by. Glad this little ditty brought a smile!

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Five Finicky Eaters. Bravo, KL! I certainly hope that I can serve as an example. Of how not to write poetry. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Betty Martha. As do I. Especially since my math is horrible and it hurts my head to have to constantly count out the syllables. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Di-licious. Hmmm. Songs. There's an idea! Perhaps a future blog post!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Only you could get away with publishing a post on your food blog without the inclusion of actual food. You're too funny.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You are too funny! I love the Marquis de Chardonnay bit! Oh my goodness! I'm splitting my seams!

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Abbey. LOL! I'll make up for it on my next post!

    ReplyDelete
  12. @ping. Glad it brought a smile! Perhaps I should open my own vineyard. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  13. Glad to see you have a sense of humor! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. @AdventuresOfAHungryLatina. Well, Thimetis, I figure if I can't satisfy folks with a great evening meal, at least I can make 'em laff. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I enjoy prose... So here goes

    Food arouses all the senses
    It deadens the defenses
    So if in doubt eat duck
    You'll surely get a ...kiss!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. @Anonymous. LOL! Man, move over Walt Whitman. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  17. I very much enjoyed the bean haiku :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. @Sarah. Thanks! Lots more where that came from! (Haikus, I mean, not the subject of the haiku, lol.)

    ReplyDelete