Call of the Mousse

It was one of those day trips that you take with a group of strangers.

You do some walking, some talking and gawking ... then comes the highlight, lunch ... if you're lucky it will be in some fancy place with big windows and a view of the city.

And so it was.

I don't remember many of the details, but I do remember the view of the city ... and the excitement when the dessert arrived. Of course, my doctor had recently put desserts (my favorite food group) on a forbidden list.

I could watch. Period. Oh, but I made some mental notes, jotted a few words on a scrap of paper later, when the bus was rolling toward home. That night it all came together in this little poem.

Then, after the usual polishing and tweaking ... patiently sending it out ... and waiting ... and waiting ... it was published.

Time has passed ... quite a bit of time ... but my mouth still waters a little as the memory is renewed.

And now ... on this morning after I've slept like a log ... awakened as hungry as a bear ... can't wait to get to the breakfast table ... the poem:

CALL OF THE MOUSSE

Fearing that my doctor

might instinctively know,

might be informed

by some skulking spy

in our midst, or that I might

blurt out a full confession

while sitting on his table,

I declined chocolate mousse

when it came crashing

through the underbrush

of after-lunch conversation,

and I sat silently, hungrily

watching while the other five

at my table devoured theirs,

particularly the lady

who, moments before,

had surrendered her fork

with the sad announcement

that she simply couldn’t

eat another bite.

© 2001

(originally published in Potpourri)

Afterthoughts ... in response to your comments:

Thank you, Hechan ... er, Helen ... for those kind, kind remarks about "Chosen Words." You've got me jump-started toward another installment ... and I hope your day is going better now, too. Do take care. See ya.

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Today's word: chocolate