Kate Williams

First in a series of occasional Not Quite Write posts, zooming up too close to call to the wibbly-wobbly, crash-crunch meetings of writing with living.
Today: Writing and Cooking:

Today I’m preparing a veggie spag bol: ingredients – sliced onion, diced aubergine, cubed poetry – I mean peppers… Just got to jot an idea down, two ticks…

Now, where was I? Heat the oil, ready and waiting in the pan… Oh, it already is heating – very heating! Must have turned it on before… Eek, burning smell. Ah, omitted the oil. There, now to jot down that other idea –

Yuk! Oily fingers on keys… will have to clean that all off later, or tomorrow, or when I’ve got this poem sorted, next weekend perhaps. The sky was… hmm, think…

Now for the spaghetti. In it goes, on it goes… A simile might work well for that sky, or an inverted one… something-blue? How are those onions doing? They’re not! Still on the chopping board! Bother. In they go… Now for that special sky…

As clear as… Ugh, so sticky!… Or something-clear? Really stinks in here –

Uh-oh, boiling the spaghetti without water… and there goes the smoke alarm! Ow, ear-drum bursting! Neighbours ‘ll be cursing us again. Quick! Fill kettle, boil water, add… but I’m going to forget that gorgeous sky idea if I don’t…

Flames? Oh, my God!


Kate
Home-cook come children’s poet and author of Squeak! Squawk! Roar! –
publishing with Otter-Barry Books, 9th January.

Next NOT QUITE WRITE coming soon! Watch this space!
Follow on X @katypoet .