Philip Dacey
LA SPECIALITE DE LA MAISON
My daughter didn't like it
that I had questions by my plate
the time she came for dinner at my place
on one of her return visits.
I tried to explain
how, because I seldom saw her,
I wanted not to forget
to ask her this or that.
It was the list,
she said, and my referring to it,
like an interview, no
conversational give and take,
as if she were applying
for a position
as my daughter.
I saw her point but, still,
thought she failed to see
the compliment, my will
all focussed on her, her life,
my wanting to miss none of it.
But when I said I guess
I should have memorized
the questions, dropped
them in where appropriate,
I could tell that
wasn't much better
by the way she
twisted her spaghetti.
So, the next time,
I served up
the surrendering
of my control,
covered with a sauce
of trust in the moment,
her, us, myself, and she ate her fill,
saying it was good.
It's not an easy meal
for me to make - the recipe
always changing, the risk
of failure, the kitchens
everywhere. That said,
I'm thinking I could get to like it.
I had a question for you,
but I forgot what it was.
Phillip Dacey is the author of six books of poetry, including The Man With Red Suspenders and The Deathbed Playboy. (a list of his books at amazon is here and powells.com is here) He's been widely anthologized and awards include two NEA fellowships and two Pushcart Prizes, among others. He currently teaches at the Minnesota State University in Marshall. (He's also one of the best readers of his work that these editors have seen.)
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