Old Ones of Love

THE OLD ONES OF LOVE

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There is a place
where the souls of old women meet —
those who spent their lives
cooking fabulous feasts.
It is the rich rest
of a gathering goodness,
it is the candle light
that bathes lover's bodies,
it is the scent
of rose petals
on bare skin.
And these old women
mutter prayers
in the form of recipes of love:
first take a pinch of starlight
and sprinkle it into the shadow
of an aloe plant,
then add two shakes of cinnamon
across a slice of green apple,
toss it all into a cherry wood fire
and drink the flame.
The smiles of these old women
can make the whole desert glow
in a moonless midnight.
The smiles of these old women
give hope
even to a wild and destitute child.