Why Do We Set The Table?
NaBeela Washington | Poetry
At what temperature does blood
begin to boil? Thicken into a
roux, slip between bits of
basil, minced garlic,
orecchiette;
Permeate chunks of spicy kielbasa,
bind a dash of salt, pepper, bubbles
roiling forth, then dissipating,
heat lowered to a hush;
Congeal from the shock of cool
clay dishes as a small mound
is delicately plated with a
large plastic spoon;
Spurt steam, burning both
nostrils, as we lean in to say
grace, my father’s seat empty,
placemat bare.
An emerging Black poet and writer and budding art collector, NaBeela Washington holds a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Advertising from The University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. She has been published in Eater, The Cincinnati Review, Roanoke Review, The Washington Writers’ Publishing House, and others. Keep up with her at nabeelawashington.com.