Bottled memory

                                                                         Painting: “Bottles” by Borg de Nobel

for a year, the bottled home-made pasta sauce

sat on the shelf, tightly capped and labelled: 

plum tomatoes and olive-sprayed onions and garlic, 

sticking to skin of summer, fresh basil leaves licking

sunny cheeks, dash of oregano, sage and thyme    



heat rekindles the fever, slow boil of regrets

skate on rim of copper pot, simmering under the lid:     

sound of wild river in my ears,

firm line of hip and limbs pressed into mine, 

tongue tip cresting soft lips,  uncapping words



into the open sea, to where no one can shape us  

into a measuring cup, sterile bottle with a label sticker:

caution, to be taken in prescribed dosage only,  

keep away from direct sunlight, 

and throw afar after use as it may cause 

melancholy, red and thick    

Updated:   I am pleased to share that this poem has been included in the Winter Issue Dec. 2012 of Emerge Literary Journal.

Posted for D'verse Poets Pub:  Poetics:  Borg de Nobel  - Part of my poem is the result of my conversation with my Italian office mate who told me their family's tradition of making home-made tomato/pasta sauce and storing them in bottles.   Happy weekend to everyone ~