The Sauce is All Wrong

Ekphrasis

20 Sept

Written By — Dr Aimee Blackledge

After, Maria Victoria Rodriguez, *Chacra*.

Casting golden glows and long shadows
A blistering sun nearing its decent for the day
Emerging from terracotta roofs,
Ready to reclaim the day with music and eating
My bones are still warm all the way through
I hear the strumming of a guitar and a squeezebox
We slowly gather to celebrate
But we feel a sense of loss and a raw emptiness
While the pasta is already made,
We trudge onwards from obligation and tradition
Wine is automatically opened,
No one says anything to mark the first time — without
I see someone has placed their photo
Pride of the place where they once would have sat — amongst us
But the music carries on — without
The sauce is all wrong — the trio now a mere duo
Without — we have lost what we once had
Like tripping up or a hiccup, it was a surprise
They wanted to leave and start again
We celebrate their bravery but miss them very much
And here we continue as always
Subdued music and sauce with too much smoked paprika

Published in Visual Verse, Vol. 08, Chapter no. 09. July 2021.

This poem is specifically formatted for mobile devices. However, for the best possible reading experience, I recommend reading it on a desktop computer.

— Dr Aimee Blackledge

Aimee Blackledge is an American author and editor who lives in the UK. She has a Master's of Studies (M.St) and a Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil) in the History of Art from the University of Oxford. She is an Associate Member of the Society of Authors and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.

For the past 10 years, Aimee has worked extensively across academia as a research associate, lecturer, curator, tutor, and post-doctoral researcher. As a Researcher Developer at the University of Liverpool, she facilitated academic writing retreats and coached researchers in achieving their most ambitious writing goals.

Aimee writes historical fiction about art. Her writing focuses on amplifying the work and perspectives of women. Her latest collection of poems, Ghost Bones, was published under the mentorship of T. S. Eliot Prize winner, Joelle Taylor.

http://www.aimeeblackledge.com

The Sauce is All Wrong

This poem is specifically formatted for mobile devices. However, for the best possible reading experience, I recommend reading it on a desktop computer.

Portrait of a Young Man