Labor of Love

By John Herlihy

Cooking is a fine art, a porcelain dove,

What the hands create a labor of love.

A sharp knife slices through the onion,

These skills grow on you like a bunion.

Sautéed mushrooms browned in butter,

An aromatic smell sends hearts aflutter.

Pinch of salt here, pinch of pepper there,

Fear not to be generous, never spice spare.

A pillow-fluffed omelet made of egg whites,

Eggplant and cauliflower grilled in our sights.

The crispy chicken salad a get out of jail card,

Honey cream puffs dreamy and four starred.

Little Cornish hens stuffed with basil to taste

Caramelized scallops in salsa verde no waste

Briyani rice seasoned with raisins and pine nuts

Seared prime ribeye beef using the finest cuts

Onions, bones, marrow make an excellent broth,

Souffles browned to perfection send us aloft.

Deep-fried squid swimming in their own ink,

Their color, texture, taste lead us to the brink.

In a small pool of butter steamed lobster tails,

Forget not the delicacy of thyme-stuffed quails.

Cooking a skill leading the heart to expectancy,

One touch, one taste, one smell, voila ecstasy.