Another attempt at recording. “Roast Chicken” was first published in Kindle Magazine in December 2015, and also appeared in Gossamer: An Anthology of Contemporary World Poetry.
Roast Chicken
Contemplating the afterlife of birds,
I empty the carcass. My wife
offers rosemary sprigs,
which I stuff into the cavity
with whole garlic cloves
and seared lemon halves,
and then I compact it by tucking
the wings under and pushing
one leg through a slit in the other,
lessening the surface. One might
debate the shape of a bird’s
soul, the sanctity of structure
and limitation, of ritual and
the weight of fire’s gifts in
human brain development,
but trussing is essential
to the goal of proper
temperature attainment.
I pat it dry, sprinkle kosher salt
on the skin, put it in the oven,
set the timer for an hour, pour wine.
Following custom, we eat
without saying grace.
Piece by tender piece, it descends.
O at the Edges 
What, no poll? Five stars, brother!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poll? Are you trying to make me learn something else? Ha!
LikeLike
Ha! I have to learn it all over again every time if I don’t keep using it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thinking hurts!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Tell me about it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😬
LikeLike
Pingback: Spatchcock Chicken | The Poetry Channel
Our simultaneous bird posts today both speak of sustenance! Wow! I’m digging your recordings, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
But your bird wasn’t the meal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Only for the soul… Lol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Which often is more than enough.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think recordings are very helpful, even for experienced readers of verse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. It’s interesting to discover that something I’ve written and read comes across in a different manner than I intended.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great piece! I loved the recording, it gave a new dimension to the poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dani. Much appreciated.
LikeLike
Torturer! — I’m sitting here staring at that roast chicken that you’ve so ably recreated in your poem that i don’t need to see a photo to begin salivating over that bird. (I do accept Care packages.) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! I’m afraid that by the time it reached you it could be a little, uh, overdone.
LikeLike
Nice segue from grace to “piece.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Which for some reason reminds me of “Peace Piece” by Bill Evans.
LikeLiked by 1 person
love the recording and the blue bowl.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Alas, the blue dish is no more. It broke in two. A sad day.
LikeLike
Wonderful warm words. Comfortably uncomfortable. Love it. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jared. Much appreciated.
LikeLike
You have a good reading voice Bob very measured & though not powerful in register or varied it carries the words just right, i don’t mean any criticism. Shame i am a vegetarian though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Daniel. No offense taken – my voice isn’t powerful or particularly interesting to hear, and as I’ve said before, I’ve never really liked it. You should hear me sing. On second thought, no you shouldn’t. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I found your reading on Youtube, its interesting for me to see you move in a space. Its a good reading & i recognized many of the poems. I will read your poems with your tempo & annunciating in mind from now on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Daniel. I prefer the disembodied voice approach, but occasionally appear in body, in space, difficult as that may be. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is awesome. And makes me hungry…
for more POETRY!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Go forth and write!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent poem and enjoying the recordings Robert. What package are you using for the recordings?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Davy. I use an external mic, and Quicktime, which came with my Mac.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for that Robert. I have been looking to do something similar on my blog and looking for a recommended package.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The external mic made a great difference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Robert that is useful to know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Robert, forgive me. I know this is about your marvelous poetry and not cooking, but… Is the photo of a chicken you cooked?? How did you get it so beautifully browned?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, that’s mine. I cook it at a high temp – 450 – for about an hour. The skin gets crispy, but the meat retains its moisture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will have to try that. I’ve always preheated to 450 and then immediately turned down the oven. That doesn’t work. Thanks!
And the poem is, of course, deep and rich like the color of your chicken.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And I don’t brush it with oil as some do, but just sprinkle on some kosher salt.
LikeLike
It may also appear a tad darker in the photo.
LikeLike
You have a great recording voice. It enriches your poetry! I make roasted chicken once a week and this resonates with the ritual and consumption of the bird — the contrasting nature of the meal. Excellent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I finally had to confess to my wife that roasting chicken was easy. She’s always willing to eat it, but didn’t want me to go to the trouble of preparing it. Trouble? And thank you for your kind words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved this piece, so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much!
LikeLike
I am not telling my hens that I like this poem, but I will tell you that I like the voice-followed-by-text approach very much. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cate. And I think you are wise for not telling your hens. 🙂
LikeLike