November new moon requires
that I qualify the darkness with warmth
that I stay at the stove by choice
making soul cakes for my ancestors
winking at them as I let the dough
stick to any surface it touches
making granola from the far north recipe book
adding plums and brambles just for fun
winking at those before me who didn’t choose fun
making stir fry just for me
winking at my distant cousins
that fried everything in a different way.