Pop Corn Pop
Because the embers glow
just so
and can be strewn
into a mesmerizing layer
the Widow Wyile fills
her old-fashioned long-handled wire
basket popper with a sliding lid
a hand-me-down present
from her kernel-popping-expert mother
with one layer of golden kernels
and then she dons her heavy black-leather
fire-tending-gloves that nearly reach her elbows
and carefully undoes the latch
to open the gothic-arched window-door
of her cast-iron Norwegian wood-stove
a jøtul - - yes - - good guess!
With ritualistic purpose
she picks up the readied basket
by its wooden handle to hold
j
i
and j i g g it
g l
jig jig jigg l e
e it
over the pulsing orange-red coals
and so begins the great anticipation
and the growing heat
Always the first few pops
are q u i e t e r
the hot-air blooms smaller
but just you wait
and keep ji-ggl-ing
i i
ggl ng !
for soon - - oh - - soon
the heated kernels will
explode pop-top-pop-pop
rat-a-snap-tap- -top-pop-pop-pop
a frenzy
an exultation
! o !
p p c o r n
c o r n
p o p !
n
r
o ! o
p p c r n
p
o
p p !
a wondrous audio-visual spectacle
- - what is that flare?
one of the multitude
escaped
the gap - -
back
out!
evacuate into a bowl!
fill her up up up
with admirable airy creamy-white
gold-adorned instantaneous blossoms
interstellar craft
landed crustaceans
without a single soft spot
or pleasantly chewable barnacle-like
satellites
that squeal against the enamel
of your teeth
take - - your - - pick!
d e l i c i o u s
with a bit of salt and oil mixed through
kind of like a white and fluffy
crunching salad
you feast on with your fingers
pop corn pop
a serotonin satisfying treat
thanks be gracious corn goddess!
*
meanwhile sotto voce
from her cozy stall
song of Gorgeous
goes: pop top pop
of course i am a trip trop
corn popped fan
each pop a tip top boost
of sero-hero-tonin’
thanks to mi amigo trypto-
phan that’s an
amino
acid