Lauralee Leonard

And when the garlic hits the oil
and the sizzling begins,
a memory of you opens.

Your tall unbent self
sturdy as an ancient tree,
standing, in your blue morning robe,
cooking some feast required by the law of families.

Did you ever speak within all those hours?
Pots laid on top of pots –
no inch of kitchen untouched
by the splatter
of your deep red gravy.

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About the author:

Lauralee Leonard has been a resident of Mercer County since 1995 and has also worked in the county for the majority of that time.