Something scrumptious always simmering
in an old enamel pot.
Looks to have cooked a million meals
one hopes will never stop.
But as delectable to me as these savory delights,
Nonna and Papa’s home is a sweet-tooth paradise.
A candy-coated, chocolate-covered, fantasyland,
with countless confectionaries ever at hand.
Coffee candy, toffee bits.
Circus peanuts, caramel nips.
Cookie tins with crescents that melt on my tongue,
leaving powdered-sugar fingerprints wherever I’ve gone.
In nightstands, TV stands, and cabinets, wall-to-wall;
in boxes, and pockets, and purses in the hall.
I scan all the shelves for a glimmer of color
through crystal candy dishes in a glass-front cupboard.
On a table right next to the velvety green couch,
I find a lidded coffer that has gone untouched.
Chasing my greedy reflection over the mirrored table top,
I see no misgivings, as I reach for the box.
Those would come later,
when at the dinner table,
Nonna pressed me to eat,
but I simply wasn’t able.
Which is simply
not
done.
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Author: Anne Celano Frohna
I have been writing for as long as I could hold a pencil in hand and would not feel complete without it.
And I actually made a meager living at it (and as an editor) for 25 years.
I worked for newspapers and magazines, in graphic arts and advertising, and wrote several local history books.
But I have also taught English in Japan, been a Nanny in Italy, worked in and for museums, was an Airbnb Superhost for four years, as well as an Etsy shop owner where I sold vintage items I found over the years of thrift and yard sales.
After moving to Arizona with my family in 2010, I completed a series of different writing projects, including two books of creative non-fiction:
Just West of the Midwest: a comedy
(Based on journals I kept during my two years as an English teacher in rural Japan.)
Within Close Range: short stories of an American Childhood
(Short stories and poems about growing up as the middle of five children in suburban Chicago.)
I've also written children's stories and continue to write short fiction, but have recently found my voice in poetry.
This blog, however, is where my greatest passion comes alive.
I am also a mother of two wonderful girls, Eva (23) and Sophia (21) and wife to one wonderful husband, Kurt.
View all posts by Anne Celano Frohna
Dog-eared Stories 