Best Eateries Poems
I see America in majestic mountain ranges, lush vegetation and sandy shores.
I see her in gold fields blending into deserts and the Rockies of her Southwest
or to her east – melding with green rolling hills, woodlands and lovely lakes.
I hear America in children’s voices excited for Halloween or Christmas.
I hear her in the busy traffic of her many spacious cities.
Or I hear her in the whispers of wind across her plentiful plains.
I inhale America’s fragrance in her numerous parks and forests.
I inhale whiffs of her food in her vast array of restaurants and bakeries.
I revel also in the strong scent of fisherman wharves on her opposite coasts.
I taste America in her multi-cultural cuisine served up in numerous eateries.
I taste America in my own cooking inspired by traditional foods and by new.
I revel in the taste of her movie popcorn where so many others do the same!
Finally, I feel America in her diverse climes extending for miles in all directions.
I feel America in the warmth of her people when they smile and say hello.
Mainly I "feel" America with gratitude for the FREEDOM lives were given for!
Dec. 29, 2019 for Carolyn Devonshire's Whitman-Inspired Uplifting Poetry, Old Or New Poetry Contest
What if..
What if; it wasn't a lockdown forenoon
Mommies whisking to kitchenette
Daddy's out with newspaper headlines
Little cubs denned in their late quilt and wishing no schooling today
Rest world racing themselves to indulge in work deadlines
What if; it wasn't a lockdown noon
Chefs busy preparing victuals to serve in eateries
Office canteens loaded with lunch boxes and gossips
Some heading for evening tales
What if; it wasn't a lockdown evening
Coffee shops buzzing with bud pairs, roasted coffee beans and whiffs of smoke
Peeps roaming and returning their abodes before the dark was deep
Little cubs falling asleep in their study and no Surf, no Netflix
What if; it wasn't a lockdown night
Dinner table would filled with traffic and homework folklore
Bedtime would doubly the fairy's list-
Children wishing for no school tomorrow,
Men for hike up his business,
Women emancipation from irons of household chores and society norms
What if; it wasn't a lockdown
Contemporary would have been so lost in it's own bloods and veins
June month would have brought us fruity summer of 2020
And I would have written a poetry of love and lust
A Vibrant Night
At night
When the city is
Lit with lights and literature
Locals and visitors
Ambiances and silhouettes
Dances with the wet backdrop
And the foreground
Maybe a new York playground
The smell of the sound of savory sausage
Sizzling on the nights grill
Salivating tongues and painters pallets
Dancing trees an autumn light breeze
Brushes by as the train underneath
Zooms pass passengers asleep
It's so unique
The smell that permeates
Pizzarias and eateries
It's so late....but that's okay
Let the night be our theater
Now who's that musical man over there
Playing his sultry song all night long
He sounds like Carnegie hall
Her dress is fighting the wind
His necktie is flagging the taxi
She's tipsy, he's dancing like Fred Astaire
Keeping her balanced,
Smells the mocha in her hair
Their equilibrium meets with the stare of each other
Falling into each other embracing humming that man's song smiling...
Anton Brockenbrough
I've slurped chili from border-to-border and betwixt the roilin' seas,
In fancy five-star establishments and greasy spoon eateries.
I've sampled some that has caused anxious gastrointestinal uproar,
But I'm a glutton for the stuff and always go back for more!
I'll eat chili with or without beans, it really matters not,
Jes' so there's plenty in the pot and it's rather spicy hot!
I'll even deign to open a can of concentrate in an emergency,
But I much prefer a great chef's favourite and secret recipe!
Many are the chili cook-offs I've sauntered my way through,
Tastin' gawd-awful concoctions, my face turnin' a reddish hue!
Those guys toss things in the pot about which I wouldn't care to know.
Their recipes are closely-held secrets and there ain't no quid pro quo!
Now, usually I can tolerate chili from any hot and spicy batch,
But, boys, I'm here to tell you that today I finally met my match.
Satan himself must have brewed that beastly olio!
I gasped, shed copious tears and my ears assumed a ruddy glow!
I'm told its a social blunder to crumble crackers in your soups,
But what care I? I ain't concerned about jumpin' through no social hoops!
Some of the glares I get from folks are embarrassin'ly chilly!
So what! Me worry? I relish crumbled crackers in my chili!
Journey starts
Kunming portraits;
Highway song
Here old and new
Merge yet apart;
Vignettes juxtapose
China welcomes
Both ancient and modern;
Sign of the times
Tour group confronts
Unfamiliar grounds;
Rough edges grind
Quaint ways of old
Ancient tales displaced;
Modern day norms intervene
Spectacular vistas
Natural wonders;
Man seems insignificant
Flood tide drowns
Flushing away;
False assumptions destroyed
Gust of wind
Reveals new passages;
Knowing does not know
Mountain peaks
Valleys well-clustered;
Fertile grounds well-used
Everywhere we go
People of all tribes;
A Chinese pageant
Human nature speaks
Polite tones sway;
Touch of humble quiet
These Chinese people:
Kind, warm, hospitable --
A touch of home
Himalayan backdrop
Mountains for company;
Melodrama purged
Methinks that I
Could hideaway here;
Unknown, undisturbed
One sure currency:
The Chinese language;
Pervasive, ubiquitous
Vast is the land
Far as our eye span;
Beyond imagery
Trades of all sorts
Risk is a sure thing;
Living is risky business
Ancient towns
Showpieces that speak;
In steady silence
Rivers and streams
Winding into quaint towns;
Ancient as old time
Pulse of the moment
Camera shutter snapshots;
Still life captured
Picture posture
By this arched bridge;
Keepsake souvenir
Sensory pursuits
Old Town bazaars;
Hasty trinkets acquired
Silver artisans
Hammer away;
Creations of white metal
Bric-bracs scattered
Awaiting curious eyes;
That impulse buy in tow
Round this village
Tourist show piece;
Modern commerce prevails
Bargains await
Hungry customers;
Weathered Oriental wares
In this roundabout square
Locals and tourists stride;
Seek new-found distractions
Spring time weather
Hot and dry and windy;
Like home without humidity
Our tour guide --
Cautions that silver jewellery
Best bought from reputable shops
Cheap price often
Compromises quality;
Authentic stuff cost much more
Lessons unlearnt
On-the-road trade routes;
Return odd regrets
A silver bangle
Heavy with 99 percent;
Quality speaks tons
Scattered eateries
Street vendors offer;
Glimpses that never die
So much to see,
Words fail description;
Feelings explore facts
Only ten days here
We see yet do not see;
Only vague interpretations
All too soon
Sojourn over;
Yunnan in mind mists
Leon Enriquez
31 May 2014
Singapore
I've traveled from the farm in Indiana, the place of my humble birth,
To places I never dreamed of seeing all around this earth!
On ships, trains and airplanes visiting fascinating ports of call,
And dining in hoity-toity eateries, more than I can ever recall!
I've dined on such exotic dishes as Beef Eterhazy and Athenian Moussaka,
Nasi Goreng, Halibut Cheeks, Paht Thai and Linguine Bugatta;
Linguine Primavera, Mahi Mahi, Lobster Thermidor and Cordon Blue,
Canard a L'Orange, Chateaubriand and savory Fillet of Wahoo!
I enjoyed those epicurean delights, but they'll never compare,
To the simple, wholesome dining on good old country fare!
I salivate thinking about a heaping plate of cornbread and beans,
With a salad on the side of fresh garden picked lettuce greens!
I drool just thinking about a hearty meal of meat and taters,
With stuff fresh from the garden like sweet peas and 'maters,
Home-made oven baked biscuits and heaps of fried chicken.
Ah, the very thought makes my old ticker begin to quicken!
Just to contemplate a repast of Bermuda onions and fried liver,
Gets my mouth watering and sets my old bones aquiver!
May you enjoy your Pate de Fois Gras at the country club;
I'll settle anytime for good old nourishing country grub!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Looking in the mirror
One becomes fearful
of the ravages of the years
The city is full of dangers which ages inhabitants
But the one thing you can be sure of
is that the beauty of
the urban landscape
can bring joy
One who has never
lived in the heart of the metropolis
does not realize this
The feeling one gets in the
hustling crowds and the thousands of
shops and eateries
dazzling lights
and thousands of new faces
is really "far out"
alive
bright
noisy
different
jovial
pumping
energetic
outlandish
musical
death
graves
shrimp
river boats
voodoo
floats
Mardi Gras
masks
beads
eateries
fun
swamps
tour guide
horse carriages
rain
clouds
casino
Cajuns
she is running down the staircase
que pasa, que pasa, echoes before her
i am on the front balcony
watching the butterflies wander
from one miniature rose to the next
having my third cup of coffee
cream, Kahlua, a tad of rum
as Beethoven's Fifth drifts out
escaping into the verdant
she too is enveloped in escape
her piece of resistance
the taxi waiting below
a week ago they arrived
love abounding everywhere
i had checked them into the hotel
i am the resident poet
fill in for a drunk night manager
the brotherhood of the inebriated
they had met on acid
true love, fate, destiny, you know the routine
Leary would have been proud
the first day they were a ballet
dancing down the beach
romantic eateries watching the ocean
tumble continuously in
as pelicans and magnificent frigates
filled the sky in an aerial choreography
then the acid ran out and tequila waltzed in
by the third day, doors began slamming
the iguanas could not bear it anymore
retreated to the din of the jungle
by weeks end the mosquitos
pleaded to be let out
screams became crescendos thru the hotel
now he comes to the balcony
she and luggage are loaded
into the waiting taxi, the que pasa
now a raucous cacophony
of stick it up yours
slowly fading into the neotropical jungle
she is off to another piece of resistance
of that i am sure
i ask him, think she will write
he ignores me, returns to his room
where for three days no one sees him
the bottles pile up outside, he is alive
the fifth day he is gone
Play Hermosa 91
Savor the long summer of barbecues and fun filled swimming pools
Eateries of fruits, berries, melons, and other things refreshing and cool
Ponder vacations near or far, and the end of weeks of freedom from school
The Summer is ending, and the Fall will turn trees to orange pretty soon
Enjoyment is the word for the ninth month, a bridge of solace, as Winter looms
Melody is what I sense of thee, a soothing flow of sweetness, and not a pinch of doom
Born the fourth of twelve children, ten pounds on the tenth day, and I’m told, at noon
Etched forever in the American psyche, four planes on 911 left deep wounds
Rest, after the harvest, and for some, Rosh Hashanah; another year resumes
08092015; ( 09/10 );PS Contest, Touch Me With Words,
IF ever I had a country : XXVII - XXVIII
XXVII
IF ever I had a country
And if ever I were but the Registrar of Companies
I'd appoint Snoopy - pet-dog Bo's first cousin - Inspector General of Secret Societies
I'll tell him to overlook the fiddling of Stock Exchange equities and concentrate on fan-club iniquities
To publish lists every morning on each member's earnings pilferings including health reports on their starving unemployment-pay beneficiaries
On who pays for the face paint jerseys mass-migration air-tickets five-star hotel and beer and block-seating fees
That is, if ever I were but the unpaid Registrar of Companies
And even if I never ever had no country company
XXVIII
IF ever I had a country
And if ever I were but the Inspector General of Secret Societies
I'd post packs of howling hound dogs to announce at portals of lodges drug-cartel penthouse mansions and haute-cuisine fan-club eateries
Whose chauffeur-driven sleek limousine dropped off which hired diamond tiara damsel from what political parties
Question the secret expense-accounts of fan-club funding at football stadiums' madly-howling jamborees
And assess the damage to the GDP despite hipes in taxes imposed by police clashes with fans after crushing defeats at shoot-out penalties
That is, if ever I were but the Inspector General of Secret Societies
And even if I never ever had no country or society
© T. Wignesan - Paris, July 12, 2018
It was a pretty long drive but not tedious
Thanks to smooth arterial roads; well laid
The shortcoming was absence of eateries
And we were looking for a decent eatery.
All efforts to find out one came to naught
That forced us to settle with a roadside inn
The place not clean; which was predictable
But the tummies refused any extra journey.
Once seated, the waiter appeared smilingly
A smile at once genuine and pleasing one
That was totally devoid of any artificiality
That helped us relax despite the location.
He brought trays and glasses but not water
Instead of tissue paper he offered his scarf
And tore a newspaper to wipe them clean
All the time offered help with a big smile.
He brought water bottle moderately chilled
And then oven fresh rotis with vegetables
After some pause, gave butter and sweet
With feeling, that we should eat a bit more.
As we ate he offered his services to others
His actions fast, served the customers alone
Humming a tune with that radiant smile and
We left the place with a heavy heart n tummy.
People always travel in
Their own peculiar way –
Airline tickets, restaurants
And where they choose to stay.
Some use points to pay their fare;
Others upgrade seats.
Many read while flying,
While a number send out tweets.
Certain people like hotels
Familiar in their perks.
Others search for funkiness,
A place with charm and quirks.
There are those who choose to dine
In eateries quite posh,
Different from the travelers
Who’d rather cheaply nosh.
Some will plan a city trip –
Museums, shopping, parks –
Every day’s itinerary filled –
No question marks.
Others like a quiet beach,
Relaxing in the sun.
Lots prefer to exercise –
They hike or climb for fun.
If vacation plans of yours
With friends do coincide,
Just be sure that you’re in sync
Before you all decide.
One man’s paradise might be
Another’s living hell.
Then you’d all be better off
To travel parallel.
Cool breeze
Bird soliloquy;
Dawn sparkles
~~~~~~~~~
City fringe
After hours glee;
Beer-guzzling romp
~~~~~~~~~
Roadside mishap
Curious onlookers;
Help arrives
~~~~~~~~~
New moon
Silvery tints;
Dazzling allure
~~~~~~~~~
Strange forest silhouette
Darkness blankets;
Firefly route
~~~~~~~~~
Soft rain falling
Sing-song streams;
Afternoon siesta
~~~~~~~~~
Joy wears a face
Beauty adorns;
Truth reveals
~~~~~~~~~
Playground noise
Small people cluster;
Laughter frolics
~~~~~~~~~
Newspaper vendor
Street side kiosk;
Dreary news sells
~~~~~~~~~
Food centre queue
Meal time crowds;
Happy salvation
~~~~~~~~~
Neighbour's toy dog
Barking madly;
Nobody's home
~~~~~~~~~
Public holiday
Casual dining;
Crowed eateries
~~~~~~~~~
Leon Enriquez
02 April 2017
Singapore
We've dined in exclusive eateries as 'round this globe we did roam,
In London, Casablanca, Athens and the lovely city of Rome.
Devouring chateaubriand, nasi goreng, caviar and even eel,
But there's nothing more delectable than a good home-cooked meal!
I have a lovely spouse who is the most talented of cooks.
Our library shelves are sagging with culinary books.
I have no idea if she ever refers to them or not,
But there's always something savory simmering in the pot!
Liver and onions is one of my very favorite treats.
Abhored by my wife, she considers it the most formidable of feats,
As she holds her nose and bravely cooks up an aromatic batch,
Taking numerous breaks for her stifled breath to catch!
Mashed taters, peas, and a roast of pork is another choice repast.
Salivating as upon that delicious feast my hungry eyes are cast!
Another rare delicacy that makes my old taste buds tingle:
Chipped beef gravy on biscuits (known in the service as stuff on a shingle!)
Spaghetti, chicken and dumplings, beef and vegetable stew,
Spicy chili, cornbread and beans and gallons of iced tea too!
But nothing tops off a meal and makes these old eyes gleam,
Like a huge slab of cherry pie with scoops of vanilla ice cream!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
(© All Rights Reserved)