Issue 2.2
Summer 2022
Aya Bram
Reflection
I have written some poems on the subject of vegetables and the work and magic of preparing food. These poems were written as reflections of the meals I make and feed to my family. Struggling with mental illness makes preparing meals a big effort. Sometimes that effort is dauntless, sometimes impossible and I rely on quick boxes of mac and cheese and ramen. Sometimes that effort is meditative, healing, a break in the haze and I take my time with slow roasted roots and pan fried mushrooms. No matter what it is I’m cooking, or the state of mind I’m in, I feel a sense of magic in the simmering pots. The comforting sound of boiling water, the satisfying hiss of a good sear, the clatter of pans, the heat of the kitchen, and the many mouth watering aromas of cooking food all generate a feeling of ritual and alchemy and a way to share myself with others.
Cellar Spell
Set an intent for a plain tongue
Light six candles
Perform under the Worm Moon
Vision:
Enter through the cellar door
Step into the dark underhome,
pass musty smells,
hanging fish,
dusty shelves.
At the back of the cellar are rootbins.
Hold each veg gingerly
against your dominant palm’s heart.
Chant:
Mighty beetroot, I invoke thee
with roasting fires
and orange skin oils
Mystic carrot, I invoke thee
with chili peppers
and chicken quarters
Mashed potato, I invoke thee
with rosemary butter
and horseyradish
Chew (slowly,
grinding the plantmatter
against molars
as mills grind grain
as cows grind grass)
Devour the rugged patterns
of these earth written skins —
let the ripple maps
of their rough surfaces
become the spelled patterns
of thy bumpy tongue
​
​
Finish by burying the chewed plantroots
in the garden
outside the mind’s homestead.
Cover with wormy dirt
and soak in moonbathed water
( Bury molars in with the mash
Bury hairlocks in with the mash )
Aya's Book Recommendations
On Ghosts by Elizabeth Robinson
Dark Matter by Aase Berg
Ascend Ascend by Janaka Stucky
Humanimal by Bhanu Kapil
Aya Bram is a poet and mixed media artist. She is a founding member and the book designer for Snail Trail Press (snailtrailpress.org) and one half of the artist's website Spectre Sequence (spectresequence.com). Her work has been featured in Night Music Journal and
Dream Pop Press.