Cooking Bliss

I love to cook

especially for friends.

There's the food, of course,

the stories we tell,

and before an evening ends,

I simply feel satisfied,

where in the past,

I'd feel stress.

There's a simple reason

for this emotion,

my gustatory happiness.

I’ve learned to take my time,

the secrets of mis en place,

a sip of the cooking wine,

well, maybe an entire glass.

But mostly what it is,

the core of my cooking bliss:

when I peel the potatoes,

I peel the potatoes.

When I cut the tomatoes,

I cut the tomatoes.

When I stir the soup,

I stir the soup.

When I chop the greens,

I chop the greens.

That’s all it takes,

so it seems.