At the Table by Ann Staley

AT THE TABLE
What do we want to be made of?
Gary Paul Nabhan


My father’s preferences influenced
everything my mother did in the kitchen
and fueled her resentments, too.
No fan of vegetables, no foodie,
Dad sat quietly waiting for his plate
said “Thanks” or “This is good, Bets” occasionally.

In the kitchen he made percolating pots of Maxwell House,
left a tidy counter top, a neat stack of dishes in the sink.
For greens Dad preferred iceberg lettuce, lima beans
and canned peas - tiny ones sprinkled with pearl onions.

Since that first table I’ve diversified.
Love asparagus, artichokes, and leafy green things:
romaine, cilantro, chives and chard,
arugula, watercress, kale and mint,
basil, spinach, flat-leaf parsley -
beet and collard greens in season.

On a summer visit when he was in his 80’s
(my mother a ghost in this tableaux)
Dad sat through a birthday dinner of his favorites -
meat loaf, baked potatoes and salad.
In my kitchen, after chocolate cake
and steaming French Roast in tiny cups,
he commented wryly, with a kind of gentlemanly awe,
“What was all that stuff.”


Ann Staley
August 2006