A Woman of Words

The words I was given

were condensed milk thickened on a stove,

sips of manzanilla to dream easy,

and a swish of the hips.

The words I was taught

were liberty and diversity,

and a dash of ambiguity, uncertainty,

yet always mixed with aspiration and hope.

The words that were shared

were a smoky salt kiss

with cream and chives,

big city pitter patter,

with old world curled up in the throat.

The words that I took

belong to forests across oceans,

real and imaginary,

flowing like waves across a floating world,

somehow reminding me

of that first sip of chamomile.

Song Choice: J'ai Deux Amours by Madeleine Peyroux

This poem is part of the Tuesday Platform for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads. It is also the fifth poem I was challenged to write as part of a Facebook game.