My mother loved salad bowls,
all shapes, sizes, textures, origins
made of woven wood, acacia,
mid-century designs with teak, smooth curves,
lathe turned, black walnut, red oak,
the treasured mahogany.
Porcelain with delicate flower blossoms,
vined ivy edging, trimmed in gold.
Fluted melamine with pressed folk art scenes.
Clay, earthenware heavy cylinders
with spattered blue glaze, sponged or brushed,
dripped or blown.
Most of her collection came from flea markets and yard sales.
I use a different salad bowl each time I prepare and relish a salad,
greens, endive, kale, red cabbage
cushion black olives dancing around the rim,
summer tomatoes with chopped basil and spearmint
soaked in stone milled oil dappled with memories of my mother.