In Memory of Our Beloved Cousin Marie



Marie Gioia and me



KITCHEN OFFERINGS

For Marie Gioia

 

Marie is 86 now—

 

She’s been retired a long time

living in a tiny apartment

on the fifth floor

of Governor Paterson Towers

with its big window

overlooking the city

and its bitty kitchen

designed for preparing

simple meals

for one

 

No microwave

no Kitchen-Aide

no state-of-the-art

this and that

created to simplify

mundane kitchen chores

 

Marie has fibromyalgia

and lives with constant pain—

She rises, attaches electrodes

from her home tens unit

to her aching body

and hopes the stimulation

will provide sufficient relief

to help her face the day

 

She heads to the market

the doctor or church

 

A bit of her monthly check

is carefully set aside

for flour and sugar

from Shop-Rite

or red bell peppers

or artichokes

from the market

on Railroad Avenue

(when they’re on sale)

 

Marie fire roasts

the peppers over a burner

stuffs and slowly simmers

the bulging artichokes

chops, minces and mixes

a bowl of batter

with a wooden spoon

and prepares loaves

for the oven

 

She gets herself dressed

fixes her hair

puts on a little lipstick

and rouge

a necklace and earrings

and a hat,

her signature stylish hat—

and out she goes

 

carrying a little jar

of garlicky peppers to my house

or a rustic corn bread

to Carol or Ana or a neighbor

or she brings her famous

cranberry pumpkin loaf

to her pastor

or the man who services her old Ford

or her dentist, ophthalmologist

or the chiropractor

she’s been going to

for years, who recently

reduced his fee

 

There are always

a few containers

of homemade soup

in her freezer

which she delivers

to the sick

or someone who

just seems to need

a simple offering

from her kitchen

 

Maude Carolan Pych

 

 

Cousin Marie passed away this afternoon at the age of 89. She was a dearly loved member of our family. My prayer is that she is in the loving arms of Our Savior, enjoying the beginning of eternal life with Him in a beautiful, wonderful place.

 

This poem won an Editor's Choice Award in the national Allen Ginsberg contest and was published in "The Paterson Literary Review".