Christmas Morning by Martin Heavisides

Breakfast >lox on seven grain bread

unlocks all its flavours on contact with tastebuds
Marysia's cake>pineapple cranberries and raisins
say interesting things to each other in the mouth
eating from breakfast tray> brought to us by Ula
from Brussels>city of terpsichore and rain
seat of the court of European Union
drumming on breakfast tray>to life on the radio
cool view through the window>grey sky sunsilvered
the deep green plant on the ledge has a name
but neither of us know what it is
Last night vigilia at Zosia’s
ear soup and seven varieties of fish
placki dessert>chocolate passed 'round from Belgium
nation of endorphin and intricate black iron
gold foil on the Parliament>Paris has that too
Toronto>city of jazz and iced windows
20 fine singers at a benefit one night
some from Vancouver>some North Ontario
some distant Halifax and points yet more east

Tonight we entertain>in the morning spice turkey
(some spice has settled fi'om when it was flown
impermeated the bird as it thawed)
more salt and pepper>rosemary>basil
for moistness we bake it at first upside down
Lot of lore in turkey cooking
some may well be factual

our birds turn out well though if they had a vote themselves
they might well disagree

The fat birds clumped on a denuded bush
outside and below our balcony
are safe>unless a cat is prowling
too much work to strip the copious feathers
two little bites is all they'd yield and they’re gone
treat to the eye bobbing on thin twining branches
as noon approaches>sun ablaze overhead

Martin Heavisides 2OO5
(“Placki" is pronounced in English as if written "Platski")
(Art: Cook With Food, Frans Snyders Date: c.1630)


All Rights Reserved--2007-2024