"Iceberg Lettuce" by Joanie Mackowski + Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

The first time you read this poem, you might peek underneath your own dinner table to see "what vegetable leviathan extends beneath." The second time, though, imagination fully open, you'll catch the subtle nuances.

Around one dinner table sits a "leaf on a plate like a wing," almost weightless, until we learn what would occur should it fly away. I sense the speaker reaching for something beyond her own existence. In one moment she remains in the physical world, bringing a small fork to her lips with pieces of vinegar-coated lettuce, but in the same moment a conversation is occurring within her soul, recognizing life's fragility.

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London Calling

There's a reason I'm talking about London today instead of poetry, and we'll get to that in a minute, but first I wanted to tell you a little bit about why I adore the city so much.

In 2002, I lived in London for 6 months as a student with the University of California. As a literature major, I was drawn to the program for the single-semester option, as well as the course work. "Literature of London," taught by a King's Cross professor, took me inside the city in a new way. Instead of reading Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf in Santa Barbara, where I lived at the time, I was able to wander through the actual streets and squares that my favorite writers had. It was mystical and inspiring and I loved every minute of it.

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"Edamame Haiku" by Katie O'Connell King + Asian Panzanella

Think of haiku as today's equivalent of a tweet, in the sense that there's a fixed number of characters you must stick to in order to convey an idea. Instead of 144 characters, you have 17 syllables to make an impression.

Poetry can carry a lot of emotional weight. Its lines can wade through deep territory and cause you to ponder the very things you try to avoid thinking about on a daily basis. It can open a wound or illuminate a small experience, making you grateful for having read it in the first place. But there's also something to be said for the lighthearted, and I think we could use a little bit of that today. This haiku is about the "glossy tender bean" edamame, and describes some of the humor involved in eating them.

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"A Winter Morning" by Ted Kooser + Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Except for "the kettle's whisper," mornings are for quietness, waking up slow, easing into the day. It sounds a little dreamy, doesn't it? I know my mornings aren't always this tranquil, but come Saturday or Sunday, it's easier to enjoy spending time in the kitchen just after the sun comes up. And I'd better get to sharing this poem before we get too far into the warmer weather.

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10 Things | April

Wine tasting at Rusack Vineyard

I just couldn't resist. There are too many wonderful blog posts, links, photographs, and ideas floating around every month that I wanted to round them up in a new series called "10 Things." This will also give me a chance to mention non-poetry things, too, or poems that aren't food-focused. I hope you'll indulge me and enjoy taking a peek at my world every month!

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