the heart of the kitchen

The bay window across the cold pavement 

frames a scene she knows far too well.

One perched upon the corner of the counter 

while her counterpart drifts through the glowing kitchen;

a practiced dance. 

Spices blooming into a simmering pot, 

a sip of wine, followed by a smile. 

Life shared around a kitchen.

Simple meals, decadent entrees, a bowl of ice cream, 

a meeting place for love, spoken fluently through recipes.

A place of refuge, secrets shared, home-cooked meals brightening 

the deepest layers of gloom.

She lingers in the still of the snowed-in neighborhood, 

winter’s quiet settling on her shoulders. 

The snowy glow catches soft lines at her eyes, 

traces of nights filled with laughter,

around a pot of simmering spices.