Missing Spice by Amy Barone

Missing Spice

Amy Barone

I sprinkle chaat masala on most dishes now.

 

Craving travel and adventure, I shun bland herbs

and embark on excursions that begin and end in the kitchen.

 

When I miss lulling train rides, I indulge in chamomile tea

as I shave ginger onto stir fries and eggs.

 

On holidays, in a nod to Mediterranean roots, I ration scoops

of white truffle oil for fresh pasta, relishing the pungent tang.

 

I cool my tongue with anise seeds, pour a bitter digestivo over ice

whenever the jolt from turmeric and serrano assaults.

 

As the urge to journey heats up, I play Motown sounds and move

to upbeat tunes as I edit the list of places I long to savor.


About the Author

Amy Barone’s latest poetry collection, We Became Summer, from New York Quarterly Books, was released in 2018. She wrote chapbooks Kamikaze Dance (Finishing Line Press) and Views from the Driveway (Foothills Publishing.) Barone’s poetry has appeared in New Verse News, Paterson Literary Review, Sensitive Skin, and Standpoint (UK), among other publications. She belongs to the Poetry Society of America and the brevitas online poetry community. From Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, she lives in New York City.