The poet disregards the soup
she reencounters it on the hob
at a merry boil
not a slow simmer as instructed
borscht like bubbling blood
melds fingerlings, carrots, onions
in garnet guise
isn’t it enough
that she peeled the beetroot
palms, apron, worktop stained
so he can collect the children
with clean hands
Lara Frankena‘s poems have appeared in publications such as Magma, Oxford Poetry and Ink, Sweat & Tears and were longlisted for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Erbacce Prize.