magdalena

"I miss / her smile, her blue eyes, her biscuits and gravy, / but mostly her hands."

—Linda M. Hasselstrom, "Planting Peas"

poetryfoundation.org/poems/56615/planting-peas

(Oct. 23, 2026; hearty & nostalgic; but reviews were mixed; L: "Mmm, comfort food. 8/10"; J: "More like discomfort food! 2/10")

"To marvel / at black cardamom, cinnamon, fried okra. To honor the slender / coat of turmeric in the light."

—Megha Rao, "Lost Jewels"

poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/158130/lost-jewels

(Oct. 21, 2026; really needed this and a self-love poem today; 7/9)

"Everybody knows in the condiment aisle it is perfectly acceptable to stand around for too long"

—Sabrina Benaim, "The Loneliest Sweet Potato"

genius.com/sabrina-benaim-the-loneliest-sweet-potato-annotated

(Oct. 20, 2026; wow, didn't expect it to be this good; 10/10)

"For dinner, we prepared / turkey meatloaf with a side of cauliflower [...] We could show you how to heal the sick, we said. / We could help you feed every nation"

—Matthew Olzmann, "The Earthlings"

poets.org/poem/earthlings

(Oct. 19, 2026; no chives but not bad; maybe nutmeg instead of cinnamon; 9/10)

"I / trust weight, depth, height-materials and thingness: / Saturn’s rings, the Pacific coastline, bolts of lightning, / a Romanesco / cauliflower"

—Christine Stewart-Nuñez, "Credo"

poets.org/poem/credo-3

(Oct. 18, 2026; no time & no need for sauce; 10/10)