In a Stranger’s Kitchen
I look in every cabinet twice
before I notice the sauce pan
hanging on a rack by the window.
All the silverware matches.
It’s in the wrong drawer.
Nicks from dinners I’ve never
cooked form constellations
on the skillet’s burnt bottom.
I reach for a wooden spoon,
but it’s a can opener. The glasses
are all spices, the spices are all
plates, and the plates are all
big plastic cups. So many cups.
If I were granted three wishes,
I’d seriously consider giving
everyone alive a chef’s knife
just on the off chance I’m
there trying to cut an onion.
4 thoughts on "In a Stranger’s Kitchen"
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This is such a fun poem! I especially love “constellations/on the skillet’s burnt bottom” and the musical rhythm of the misplaced kitchenware in the fourth stanza.
You clearly articulated how foreign this feels…and I can sense the frustration building as I read through the poem.
I, too, enjoyed the phrase, “constellations on the skillet’s burnt bottom….”
Hahaha!! I literally laughed out loud at this. Please do wish for this, if you’re given the chance. We’ll all thank you!! So good. 🙂
Very original idea for a poem. The second verse is a home run.