Clay

 Clay

This mound of clay
Soft and cold
Will soon feel the warmth of your hands

It will bend and yield
To your intent
Only if
At first
You listen
To what it wants to say
To its untold story

Give it a name
Talk to him, her, they
Be honest with your intentions

Water and air
Are his, her, their friends
In the kiln
Fire will make
Him, her, them remember
The memory of your touch

zarahG 9.6.21

Nanay Leony

Nanay Leony

Garlic, ginger
Salt and pepper
Onions, of course

What Nanay Leony calls
A concoction to ward off
Dis-ease

She sings
An ancient tune
Sounding out the words under her breath
While stirring the pot
Of chicken broth

The aroma fills the kitchen
It floats over the sala
Out to the veranda
Where I sit watching the neighborhood kids play in the rain

The smell, the sounds
They find their way into my heart

She would call me
And I know it is time
To be healed
To be loved
And to live again for one more rainy day
While eating the flavors of earth and air

zarahG 8.31.21