It's Still Life

The Old Woman’s Onions and The Last Supper

I. THE KNIFE’S CONFESSION
the old woman knows
the knife’s dull protest,
the way time
softens
even the sharpest
edges.

II. THE PAN’S TESTIMONY
the onions sizzle,
a sound
like whispering.

the cast iron
remembers
every meal
it’s ever murdered—

now it sighs,
licks its own scars,
and calls the old woman
yes chef.

she stirs the onions
slowly,
as if tenderness
can be cooked
into something
that lasts.

III. THE CAT’S RULES
the cat
feigns disinterest.

it has its own
hunger,
and its own
rules.

IV. THE LAST SUPPER
the old woman
eats
straight from the pan—
no plate,
no ceremony.

the kitchen light
hums above her,
a tired sun
that forgot
to set.