My first artichoke
\nbloomed on its plate
\nlike a sea plant,
\npetals steamed open,
\ngreen shadow cups,
\nsecret flesh.<\/p>\n
I had to watch you
\nto learn how to eat
\nhow to pull off leaves,
\nscrape teeth and lips
\nacross tough skin,
\nreap the meat.<\/p>\n
The soft inner flaps
\npurple-edged, pale
\nwrapped the deadly choke;
\ntufted, lethal feathers
\nhid a waiting heart,
\ntender, thick.<\/p>\n
You whisked it away
\nsliced back the tendrils
\npoised to strangle,
\npresented the naked heart
\ndoused in fresh butter,
\nunguarded.<\/p>\n
I thought you’d saved my life
\nushered me through danger
\ninto luscious pleasure,
\nand every artichoke since
\nrenews the old challenge:
\nrisk or starve.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cEating Artichokes\u201d was published in the on-line journal, Switched-On Gutenberg<\/i>, 2000.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"