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LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

I once wrote an Ode to Kitchen Gadgets, which I’ll post here. It’s quite silly. I love your poem.

Ode to Kitchen Gadgets

It began

with monkey peeler

an orange monkey

arms outstretched

holding a blade

instead of

a banana

It peels

the skin from carrots

of apples

or pears

sliced with

the eight-blade

slicer corer divider

A flower

blossom of fruit

But the obsession began

with the Hutzler 571

banana slicer

yellow curved

to match that

just peeled banana

the saver of marriages

of shattered dreams

The plastic onion to hold

my half leftover

onions and tears

Or the lemon

to hold the slices

I used to save

in baggies

found weeks later

mashed and moldy

on the bottom

of the fruit drawer

Plastic pepper holders in

red and yellow

and orange

I’ve even mixed

the colors red pepper

in orange

yellow in red

and there I find them

in the refrigerator

perched proudly

on the shelf

proclaiming

their identity

next to Butter Cutter

butter enshrined

with each click

a perfect pat

Kitchen gadgets

plastic gods to

ease the way

Lisa Jensen's avatar

This is is so playful and delightful, LeeAnn!

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

This is fantastic and fun, Lee Ann! It may be the best and most comprehensive kitchen utensil poem I have ever seen! Your ending ties it all together so beautifully well:

butter enshrined/with each click/a perfect pat/Kitchen gadgets/plastic gods to/ease the way."

To paraphrase Lisa, your poem is just delicious!

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

This is an epic poem, Lee Ann. You bring us through a delightful journey through your kitchen!

Rebekah Jensen's avatar

Here's some sister-trippy s&*#... I completely forgot your original post, but for days remembered that I was supposed to write a poem about kitchen utensils. Only now when I got ready to post it did I see all the parallels with your poem. It was inspired by my beaters, thinking of them as separate entities from my handheld mixer.

.

You don’t go looking for trouble

but will throw down when pushed,

whipping the toughs until they buckle

and fawn. Your thirst

is not for blood (never a drop)

but for emulsification.

.

What better bowl could there be

than all of us reduced to satin?

My ego is a lump about to be

dashed, then born again

as flour that freely surrenders.

Lisa Jensen's avatar

I love the sisterly serendipity - and your ode to the too-rarely-praised beaters!

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

I love this Rebekah! “My ego is a lump about to /be dashed/, then born again/as flour that freely surrenders.” That is a superb ending for a poem that can’t be beat! 😀

Jonathan Potter's avatar

There are worse fates that being delicious is a fantastically enticing sentiment

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Thank you so much, Jonathan!

Margaret Ann Silver's avatar

Lisa, you have such a gift for the short gut-punch of a poem. I love this one.

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Well short gut punches work perfectly for my ADHD brain! Thank you, Margaret Ann. 💚

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

I'm not so sure about this one, but since I am drinking tea right now, I'll send it off to share.

A Mugging

^

I drink my tea and coffee from these mugs,

gifts and keepsakes collected along the way,

and hold them close in my heart.

Memories come rising with the steam,

get stirred up as monk fruit and honey

dance with oat milk to spruce up

the base liquid that forms a home.

Mostly smiles, a few tears, and grateful

acknowledgment that I am not alone.

Cup of comfort and holder of hopes,

a reminder that I am held in compassion and love

as my hands embrace the warmth held within.

Lisa Jensen's avatar

As I read your lovely poem, I began thinking about my favorite mugs and the people they come from - my mom, brother, sister, several dear friends . . . Thank you for stirring up lovely recollections for me, Larry!

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

Thank you Lisa! Mugs seem to be wonderful gifts to give, excellent holder of memories! I'll be holding a northern New England mug for you!

Kim Nelson's avatar

Gorgeous poem. Generous spirit.

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Spoken from your own gorgeous, generous heart! ❤️ Thank you, Kim.

mischa's avatar

wow LOVE this poem and prompt. can't wait to go cook something up...

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Thank you so much, Mischa! Happy cooking!

Chen Rafaeli's avatar

It was a new and great experience for me -you're wonderful, warm hosts, and thank you for holding that open mic

and thank you for the poem -I love it

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Thank you so much, Chen! I was so happy to see you there on the call and hope I'll get to again. 💜

LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

I’m so glad you came, Chen, and hope you will again. It was wonderful to have you there.

Fotini Masika's avatar

Your poem got my heart :)

And I still smile when I think of Saturday, thank you!

Lisa Jensen's avatar

I’m still carrying around a smile from Saturday, too! Your poetry - and your spirit - brought so much warmth and beauty to the gathering.

Fotini Masika's avatar

Now I am smiling again :)

Lisa Jensen's avatar

❤️😃❤️

A. Wilder Westgate (she/they)'s avatar

I love this, Lisa. I'll have to try to remember it when I'm surrendering to my own chronic illness.

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Thank you, A! And, the beauty and importance of surrender notwithstanding, I’m wishing you many days in which you have no need of it!

A. Wilder Westgate (she/they)'s avatar

Wishing the same for you! 🧡

Ronald Lanham's avatar

Wow, new profile look!

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

Lisa, your amazing ability to write poems of any length is inspiring. I love this little poem, and so glad you came to delicious over devoured! It made me think of you as the great creatve chef, blending these wonderful and diverse herbs and spices into a creation that is truly delicious! And I love the ending to your poem: "There are worse fates/than being/delicious." That is splendid and so hopeful! Thank you for all of your creations, delicious and otherwise!

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Thank you so much, my friend! I like the idea that maybe everything we are doing here on earth is a wild culinary experiment.

Larry Brickner-Wood's avatar

Yes! And we keep making it better and better!

Mark Shields's avatar

-delicious. Or luscious.

;)

Lisa Jensen's avatar

❤️❤️❤️

Mark Shields's avatar

(yes! the profile pic's enthralling!

can I now say this, like a week after the rush?

certain - it's a person shining through a brilliant visage...)

I am happy you exist, Lisa Jensen!

You catch me first with your words; forsooth, I return for your smile.

Lisa Jensen's avatar

Forsooth - what a wonderful word!

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Apr 4, 2025
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Lisa Jensen's avatar

Thank you so much, Rosie! It was such a treat to get to read one of your poems in the chat thread.