Subscribe To Our
Poetrybay Blog on Facebook




FALL/ WINTER 2017

next



Wayne Mennecke

PIPEDREAMS

His cracked right hand cinches gray
streaks of grease on long apron strings.

The other self-flagellates his left
shoulder with a mostly damp dish towel.

Years since he’s seen Alaska
the steakhouse cook opens up

about home- longing for fresh halibut,
the sight of grizzlies, Denali.

But the North Dakota grill is steady work.  He says
most travelers just pass through these picketwire
plains- sweepstakes players devour his firehouse ribs
on break from fracking shale.  He broils ribeye steaks

for roughnecks, roasts duck for ranchers and hunters,
steams mussels and sautés escargot in garlic

butter sauce for desolate diggers of deadbolt dinosaur bones.
He stabs at his own buried treasures-

a deep blood kettle of imperfect recipes
and off-script meals,

but this evening the cook pokes a grin
through the kitchen’s double-hinged doors

asks diners how everything is,
reassures everyone

how so damn thrilled to death he is
with being alive.


 

back to top

 

 


send comments to info@poetrybay.com

first electronic copyright 2000 poetrybay. 
all rights revert to author

 

 

Poetrybay seeks fine poetry, reviews, commentary and essays without restriction in form or content, and reserves first electronic copyright to all work published. All rights to published work revert to the author following publication. All Email submissions should be in body of email text.

To submit poems write to:

PO Box 114 
Northport NY 11768
or email us at 
poetrybay@aol.com

send comments to poetrybay@aol.com

first electronic copyright 2004
©2018 poetrybay. 
all rights revert to authors

website comments to dpb@islandguide.com