Foodie Poetry: With Apologies to Ogden Nash

When I attended the Massachusetts Poetry Festival recently, I took a class on writing poetry about food. I’m off to Italy soon. What else did you think would happen?

Buon viaggio!

Scungilli Salad c. 2010 J.H-M and CultureChoc

No man is lonely while eating spaghetti: It requires so much attention. — Christopher Marley

‘Talian Food

I would not eat the sauteed eel

Not the calamari, not the scungil’

I never knew why clams were food

And oysters never seemed that good

Mackerel, a dark and oily fish,

Like trippa, never graced my dish

What kind of ‘talian can I be

when slimy things repulses me?

I crave the pasta, fichi, rice

And melanzane’s always nice

Gorgonzola makes me happy

While nociola turns me sappy

Blood orange juice is great to start

A day at the porchetta cart

Rich prosciutto, macchiato

You eat slime — I’d rather not-o.