Photography © Glenn Bowie

 

How Potatoes Work

You take one
to the back yard
dig a hole and
put it in there
then you wait
you water it of course
and in time it sprouts
into this plant with leaves
and suddenly there are
more potatoes
you feel rich
you always wanted potatoes
mashed
au Gratin
hashed browns
but they don’t stay put
they pick up and leave
leaving behind this vine thing
with dry leaves and
an empty stalk
you’re proud of your potatoes
but you have this empty feeling
all that work for nothing
they don’t call or write
you heard they made it big
in all the kitchens of Europe
and then
silence
nothing for years
till they show up again
broke
what do you owe them?
they’re hungry
need a bed to sleep on
your house has been vacant
you bring them in
they’re quiet for the first week
but then they get comfortable
and noisy
till they are finally a
pain in the neck
so one night
when they’re all passed out
in their old bedrooms
on the sofa
in the yard
you pack a suitcase
and slip out the door
you always liked starch
but more than that
you wanted to see
the kitchens of Europe

 

Paul Smith writes poetry & fiction. He lives in Skokie, Illinois with his wife Flavia. Sometimes he performs poetry at an open mic in Chicago. He believes that brevity is the soul of something he read about once, and whatever that something is or was, it should be cut in half immediately.

Glenn Bowie is a published poet, lyricist, and photographer from the Boston area. He also owns and operates an elevator company that supplies custom-built elevators for clients from New England to Hollywood. Author of two poetry and photograph collections (Under the Weight of Whispers and Into the Thorns and Honey) on Big Table Publishing, he donates all profits from his books to various charities for the homeless and local animal shelters.