Marsha Johansen lives in Albuquerque, NM and holds a Bachelors in Business Management. Her collection of poems called Around the Edges was published in 2018. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, DailyDrunk, PoetryLovers.com, SadGirls Club and the Fixed & Free Poetry Anthology and elsewhere.
Nauseous, still half asleep
I was transported to another world.
Spectacular views above rolling hills
somewhere in Tuscany.
A town called Pettino,
where truffles and pecorino cheese
are the mainstay for a family of sheep farmers.
They spend most days living off the land,
far removed from the fast pace of cities like
Florence and Rome.
In their secret hideaway,
we sampled tastes of fresh honey cake
sipped hot espresso.
Jumped inside Lucca’s truck,
watched his trained spaniels
dig up mushrooms resembling dirt.
Truffles were an exquisite
gift for culinary collectors.
Fields lined with sheep,
baby girl named Apollonia,
running with abandon.
Open fire, scrambled eggs
laced with truffle shavings
followed by sips of Proseco.
Aging grandmother hunched over
flour, eggs and water as she mixed, swirled,
kneaded fresh pasta dough.
Aching back cautioned her to slow down, but
devotion to family beckons her back
nurturing minds and bodies.
We all rejoiced in the dramatic finish to our meal
connecting with an Italian family living off the land.
Wine, grilled sausage, fresh pasta and an apple tart,
our palates purred with satisfaction.
Poetry in this post: © Marsha Johansen
Published with the permission of Marsha Johansen