Inspired by the title of Michael Ondaatje’s poetic masterpiece, “The Cinnamon Peeler.”
Barely perceptible, the last of the sun’s rays
cosset behind
a soft grey cloud, slowly
almost enough to steal away one’s breath,
almost, but oh, it is nothing,
nothing in comparison to—
He is a cinnamon peeler; unrivaled,
do not follow his lead,
for you will end up covered in amber dust,
your lips,
your fingertips and collarbone tainted
and smeared,
become as though a mural of flavours robust—
cardamom, hint of nutmeg
vanilla and boldness of saffron;
calculated so as to arouse carnal instincts,
you will fall without complaint,
trust me,
like waves white on an empty beach.
I shower with the lights off,
leaving just a bit of visibility for comfort;
to see passion lining the shelves,
and to remain standing—
I never knew of taste before I looked
into his eyes,
never knew what cinnamon affair would do
to poetry, to small of back,
a heat of a whisper,
I continue to think and watch as thoughts fog up
the mirror,
is it possible to disguise once you have
owned the scent?
I confess that I envy his bedsheets,
for they need not hide.
I am inebriated; for combination is near perfect,
a sort of visual delight,
strawberries with cinnamon cream,
hemstitched
in ways we aren’t taught,
the blackness of night dissolves,
and soon
it becomes difficult to tell apart sighs,
I caress his curves
while gaze is suspended in a mirror,
in a city governed by spices,
soft petals that fall and sway with the wind
again and again,
he is a cinnamon peeler; unrivaled.
Photo credits: Cinnamon Stick on a Froth by Polina Kovaleva, Pexels.
Merril hosts at dVerse and invites us to write inspired by a list of twenty-
five herbs, spices, flavours and spice combinations. Come join us! ❤
Posted for Poetics: Spicing it up @dVerse Poets Pub
Oh my! Be still my heart! What a sensual symphony this is, Sanaa! I love how you slipped in “mural of flavor” amidst all the other spices and flavors. ❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Merril 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! 💄❤️
(and thank you for the glorious prompt) 🌹
Fabulous as ever, Sanaa, and spicy too! I love the lines:
‘…you will end up covered in amber dust,
your lips,
your fingertips and collarbone tainted
and smeared’,
and
‘never knew what cinnamon affair would do
to poetry, to small of back,
a heat of a whisper,
I continue to think and watch as thoughts fog up
the mirror’.
Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄❤️
As do I!
“I confess that I envy his bedsheets,
for they need not hide.”
Wonderful mesmerism and erotica, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Sensuous, spicy and oh so flavourful! You have outdone yourself with this one, Sanaa! 💖💖💖
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Punam 😀 so glad the poem and its spices appealed to you 💄❤️
Oh, spicy in every sense of the word! It’s very tasty.
Thank you so much, Sarah 🥰 I enjoyed writing this one! 💄❤️
OMG!!! Luv this
“strawberries with cinnamon cream,
hemstitched
in ways we aren’t taught,”
much💛love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Much love back 💕
This is exquisite. Brava!
Thank you so much, Christopher 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Spicy, indeed! Well done!
Thank you so much, Susan 😀 so glad the poem and its spices resonated with you 💄❤️
Oh Sanaa ..this is such an enchanting and magnetic piece, pulling me in with every line. Just like this….
“you will fall without complaint,
trust me,
like waves white on an empty beach.”
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Mish 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
I like your city of spices, when we visited Dubai and Abu Dhabi Dubia we saw spice merchants like we’d never seen before, so many of them and so many spices. We still have some. You have pictured your surroundings perfectly for me.
..
Thank you so much, Jim 😀 so glad you liked it! It is a glorious prompt to begin with 💄❤️
Oh my! Spice will never be the same. I love
“for you will end up covered in amber dust,
your lips,
your fingertips and collarbone tainted
and smeared”
I think we all.
You are too kind! Thank you so much, Mary 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Sanaa, seriously, this poem is mind-blowingly good. I’m not just saying that.
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Ben 😀 so glad the poem and its spices appealed to you 💄❤️
Sanaa, wow, what a write my friend! You really wrapped yourself around this spicy piece!
Thank you so much, Rob 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Oooh Sanaa! What a delicious read!
Thank you so much, Ain 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄❤️
Sensual, erotic and exciting read Sanaa. Wow! I will never look at my spice shelf in the same way again. ☺️❤️
Thank you so much, Christine 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
More wonderful erotic musings. Cinnamon is such a sensual scent.
Thank you so much, Kerfe 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
What a lovely sustained metaphor!
Thank you so much, Jane 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
It is wonderful how love can spice up a relationship! This is a great poem, Sanaa. I liked this line…
strawberries with cinnamon cream,
hemstitched
in ways we aren’t taught,
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Every line in this exquisite poem speaks volumes … volumes of spicy feelings, emotions, desires … the kind of poetry you write so well. Brava, Sanaa, Brava.
PS .. would love to travel round the world, meet my very own cinnamon peeler.
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Helen 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Really good!
Thank you so much, Christine 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
A very appropriately spicy poem Sanaa. Nicely sexy and romantic all at once.
Thank you so much, Sean 😀 so glad the poem and its spices appealed to you 💄❤️
Spicy, sensuous, wonderful writing!
Thank you so much, Sara 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️