Forget everything you know about fruitcake
The scene – a warm kitchen in soft focus
Picture the backside of a curvy baker
bent over a tabletop chopping
                nuts 

Close-up of wrinkled pecan and walnut lobes
so close to smooth almonds and
Macadamias
Candle light glows
through measuring cups full
                of orange liqueur, dark honey and rum 

Imagine the fragrance of ginger, cloves and cinnamon

Pull in close to the soft peach tongues
of apricots, red black cherries,
raisins translucent and gold
Feel the dried fruits’ suspended
               ripeness
Feel their thirst, their need
They need a spa treatment, maybe an orgy 

Let the camera linger
as they lose three days tumbling together
               soaking in glistening sticky rum

Cue the music to show time passing… 

Now think batter
Think ambrosia
Think beaten eggs and butter
Add a fresh scrape of orange skin
The cook will be sweaty
and licking batter dripping
                from her fingertips 

For the finish, fade to black, then
show baked loaves resting
steaming on the counter
Have the baker sigh, her hair mussed, she’s smoking
Maybe has crumbs on her lips.

 Alice Rohman has retired from state employment to concentrate on her artistic pursuits.  She lives in Farmingdale where she is inspired by her husband, two cats, and two dogs.