Not a rose, not a red-lipped promise.
I give you a garlic clove.
A clove as small as a secret,
wrapped in its own ghost-skin,
tight as the fist of a kept word.
Peel it—
watch its silk slip away,
its scent rise like something remembered,
like heat in a lover’s throat.
It will cling to your fingers, your breath,
will ghost every word you speak.
It will not fade.
Chop it—
it bites back, sharp,
then yields in the slow burn of the pan,
softening, turning sweet.
Just as love, it is fierce and long-lasting,
an aftertaste in the dark,
burning low but never gone,
a memory that stays
long after a meal is over, a presence
you carry, whether you want to or not.
Photo credits: Sliced cheese beside garlic, basil and grater on a table, Pexels.
Bjorn hosts at dVerse where he offers us a delightful mini prompt in spirit of Valentine’s Day,
he invites us to write inspired by Carol Ann Duffy. Come join us! 🩷
Posted for OLN #378 – February Live Edition @dVerse Poets Pub
30 Responses
You made me laugh with the first two lines, then gasp in amazement…stunning verse. Delectable, and of course with all those layers.
Thank you so much, Ain 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Love your poem and especially the ending!
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Very cleverly done, Sanaa!
Thank you so much, Shay 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! 💄❤️
I like how you shadowed Duffy’s onion in your poem, Sanaa, and adore these lines:
‘A clove as small as a secret,
wrapped in its own ghost-skin,
tight as the fist of a kept word.’
Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😍 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I shall never again be able to peel garlic without thinking of these glorious lines:
” its own ghost-skin,
tight as the fist of a kept word. “
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Laura 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Nice, Bravo
Much♡love
Thanks for stopping by, Gillena! 💄❤️
Much love back 🥂
I agree with Kim re/ my favorite line..Love your metaphor..
Thank you so much, Judy 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Garlic breath is the passionate way of saying let’s not wait any longer!
Precisely! Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Sanaa I love your likening love to garlic. It is all of that. Love when it turns to sweet.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Love the way you shadowed Duffy’s poem, and especially that characteristic of the garlic:
tight as the fist of a kept word
And the aftertaste will always be there
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
So good to hear you read this – I truly believe there is nothing from which you could not extract a love poem Sanaa!
I particularly liked
“A clove as small as a secret,
wrapped in its own ghost-skin,
tight as the fist of a kept word.”
Thank you so much, Andrew 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
i love garlic. but also, breath mints 🙂
i continue to admire your evolution as a writer, Sanaa.
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, M 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
It was great to hear you read this yesterday, Sanaa.
The melting to sweetness, the chopping, the aftertaste like love . . . I will never think of garlic in the same way again!
Thank you so much, my dear Merril 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Comparing a garlic clove to love – very creative and lovely to read!
❤️❤️❤️
So creative and so clever! Love your amazing metaphors, Sanaa. 💕💕
Thank you so much, Punam 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️