Cooking collards with Prometheus

 

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First, a rinse under a gentle stream,

veins down to earth cascades flow,

cold water sweeping clinging grit

rolling glints over savory emerald-ness

of Gaia, like amoeba, feasting as they go.

If prepared whole, some leaves would drape

over both hands, an offering of perfection,

but, as we are, pretenders to the thrones,

we claim all honor of discovery and prep;

we must tear, chop and season to our taste;

salt, pepper, onion, pork, even brown sugar

Are we attempting ambrosia?

 Collards, food of a more caring god?

Perhaps, Prometheus presented this gift

to us along with his glowing coals

since we, had been denied ambrosia

and fire’s warmth for no other reason than….

I do not know why we were denied;

merely created and left in want.

I do know, sadly, that few of us have suffered

as Prometheus, to love and care for mankind.

Comments

8 responses to “Cooking collards with Prometheus”

  1. shafiqah1 Avatar

    Oh yeah, we always use smoked turkey rather than pork 😉

  2. shafiqah1 Avatar

    Reblogged this on shafiqah1 and commented:
    This is an awesome poem, I have made collared greens like all the women on both sides of my family and it is so time consuming, it gives us time to talk, or my great-grandmom used to hum spirituals, and my grandmom would let me wash/rinse/soak each leaf playing in the kitchen sink until they shined with cleanliness, before she began to cook. If it was just me and my sisters we would sing R&B in a very bad 4 part harmony of a Saturday or Sunday afternoon…#Best Memories Ever evoked by this piece ❤

    1. Leo Avatar

      Thanks so much! I love collards and I actually do use turkey kabosa sausage when I cook them! But pork just worked better in the poem…..also use sauted onions and garlic …and black pepper and chicken stock… Thanks so much for the reblog! Leo

      1. shafiqah1 Avatar

        You are very welcome, you made my day yesterday Leo 🙂

  3. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
    Jeremy Nathan Marks

    I adore your first stanza. It is elegant and brings out the dignity of those greens and the Earth that produced them. You bring forth the joy of cleaning (and cleansing) what you are about to eat and in the process, bring out the texture of that unique experience of the process of preparation. This is a great poem.

    1. Leo Avatar

      Thank you, so much, Jeremy for your great comments and reblog…I am much flattered!

  4. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
    Jeremy Nathan Marks

    Reblogged this on The Sand County and commented:
    This poem captured me the moment I read the title. I think the first stanza is masterful.

  5. Susan L Daniels Avatar

    Leo, this is gorgeous.

Love to have a comment!