You were in the kitchen
and I was upstairs
I could hear you clanging
mixing and sizzling
opening and closing
the fridge, but
what made me
the happiest girl
were the garlic and onions
wafting up the staircase
promising dinner
to my nose
who promptly whispered it
to my stomach
as I finished my homework
on the old Smith Corona
you bought me
at a yard sale
for two dollars
all of which
made me feel
incredibly warm and loved.
Mom & I
Lupita holds an MFA in Creative Writing - Poetry from the University of Florida, and has served as a staff scholar at Bread Loaf Translators Conference since 2021. She is a Vermont Studio Center Fellow and has received generous institutional support from Bread Loaf Writers Conferences, the Kentucky Women Writers Conference, and New York State Summer Writing Institute.
Lupita translates poetry from Spanish and is currently translating Venezuelan poet Oriette D'Angelo. She loves visiting the beach with her children, volleyball, word games, black and white film photography, dancing, darkrooms, road trips, and trains.
Not Enough Poetry 
I love it!!! What a great love story. Thank you for sharing it.
LikeLike
A lovely praise poem – an ode to your Mom. Perhaps we should have poems for, to or about our parents as a poetics prompt at dVerse sometime.
LikeLike
I think you did fine for the prompt myself. Your celebration of your mother was beautiful reflecting your feelings. >KB
LikeLike
what a beautiful ode to your mom…and what a lovely photo as well… ah and some good food– homecooked– yeah.. def. make one feel warm and loved
LikeLike
There is nothing like the smell of a mother’s cooking when one is finishing one’s homework. My mother had an old Smith-Corona, which I also used too. So your poem brought back good memories.
LikeLike
This is so sweet.. and what a glorious picture you added. Such symbiosis with the poem..
LikeLike
smiles…gotta love a parent willing to invest in you….the buying of the yard sale typewriter…its not the money that matters but what it can do…mmm…love the smells wafting up too…smiles.
LikeLike
Yep – children don’t need lots of money spent on them, just time and attention – and love. The photo is just lovely.
LikeLike
Loved how you used the sensual cues of scents and sounds to bring me into your memories. Sweet.
LikeLike
Lovely memories. Thanks for sharing a slice of your life.
LikeLike
This is a wonderful little scene. I love the use of the sense of smell! Well done for sure. 🙂
LikeLike
Aww, this is so sweet! What a lovely poem 🙂
LikeLike
Love the photo, the opening and closing of the frig…..the memories…lovely ode to your mother 😉
LikeLike
I enjoyed this–every image and sense of it–as I thought about similar love in my growing it. I still have my typewriter, an Olivetti Underwood. And she’s still doing the kitchen thing at 90.
LikeLike