Poetry in motion
and a recipe for a summer strawberry salad
To everyone new here, welcome. I’m Elizabeth, the writer of The Delicious Bits Dispatch, a weekly missive for the curious, blending discovery, reflection, and musings, always wrapped up with a seasonal recipe worth lingering over.
Listen to presences inside poems.
Let them take you where they will.
Follow those private hints,
and never leave the premises.—The Tent, Rumi
Do you know if you have a poet’s heart? Are you a lover of words, iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets, a clever haiku, reading about roads not taken, walks in the woods, a red wheelbarrow?
Or have I lost your interest in what seems like a narrow topic, perhaps of not much interest?
Stay with me for a few minutes more.
It is a serious thing just to
be alive on this fresh morning
in the broken world.—Invitation, Mary Oliver
With the tardy start of the fine June weather, I finally feel the lengthening of the days. Never mind that the trend will reverse itself in a short matter of weeks. There are the early birds coaxing me awake, the city stirring at my feet, a bus trundling and groaning as it stops for a sleepy-eyed passenger, the still-chill air snapping at my toes while the rosy sun warms my back.
In this cacophony of urban living, my summer routine emerges. Eyes opening with alacrity, the alarm clock unnecessary. Coffee on, phone set aside for my notebook, thoughts that are raw, fragmentary, unpolished and real.
I’m ready to take up my pen once again.
Poetry in motion
I started the practice of writing morning poetry last summer.
Tucked amongst half-recalled dreams, post ideas, and more traditional journal entries are verses chronicling my foray into scuba diving, eating a ripe tomato or breaking open the skin of a peach, the complicated symphony of cars and birdsong, rudimentary haikus intermingled with stream of consciousness imagery. It’s as if my pen is an independent agent, dictating a web of language not quite my own.
It is here and now that my morning catechism often turns to thoughts of Mary Oliver, the high priestess of the minute beauty of life. In language so simple and piercing that it takes my breath away, Oliver might be said to have lived by this singular maxim:
Pay attention
Be astonished
Tell about it
The cardinal singing liquid notes behind me agrees.
Rhyme and reason
The almost unconscious act of writing poetry and the deep connection I have to that daily practice got me thinking about whether there is a link between meditation and the written word. It turns out, there is a profound one. It’s a state of being that poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer captured as a complete surrender to the moment in this beautiful poem:
If you stand here long enough, you, too, will forget your lines and merge with the tall grass and old trees, with the crows and the flooding river—all these pieces of the world that daylight has broken into objects of singular loneliness. ... standing in the field, you become the field…
—Still Life at Dusk, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
As Dr. Ron Passfield, an emeritus professor and organizational consultant, writes on his website Grow Mindfulness, writing verse isn’t about chasing literary perfection; rather, it’s a direct “practice of presence.”
Drawing on the work of Trommer, Passfield explores how arriving daily at the page with just two questions—“What is here?” and “What is true right now?”—acts as an anchor, grounding us in the reality of our everyday lives.
By casting aside the inner critic and simply naming the things outside our bodies, we spark a revelation within it. Passfield notes that this ritual does more than just shift our perspective; it actively builds a bridge between our inner and outer worlds, cultivating a deep emotional resilience.
It’s a powerful reminder that poetry is profound…a way to withstand the tough stuff and stay open to the extraordinary richness of being alive.
Want to explore more about poetry and mindfulness? You may find these two books of interest:
Poetry of Presence II: More Mindfulness Poems
Exploring Poetry of Presence II: A Companion Guide for Readers, Writers, and Groups
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Little Gem lettuce and strawberry salad with brown butter breadcrumbs
Recipe courtesy of Leslie Bulut, A Bite of Delight
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side
With every passing week, I am more and more inspired by the fantastic community of writers, food and otherwise, that have become my Substack tribe. I am saving posts for future reference, bookmarking recipes to try, and expanding my own kitchen adventures.
It’s time to start spreading the wealth! This week’s fantastic seasonal recipe comes courtesy of Leslie Bulut, who writes A Bite of Delight. And Leslie really is a delight. Leslie describes herself as someone who believes …”amazing global cuisine shouldn't require a culinary degree or an overflowing pantry of single-use items. As someone who's been cooking my way around the world—literally and figuratively—for over 10 years, I love to share internationally-inspired, nutritious meals that can be made at home.”
When I saw the highly anticipated first strawberries at the farmers’ market last week, I knew exactly which one of Leslie’s recipes I’d try. This fresh salad captures summer strawberries at their peak and can be a glorious light dinner or a wonderful side dish.
Ingredients
For the dressing
⅔ cup whole milk Greek yogurt (170 g)
1 tablespoon water or milk (15 g)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (10 g)
1 medium garlic clove, grated or finely minced
scant ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (25 g)
3 tablespoons chopped dill, tender parts only
Optional: 2 tablespoons finely sliced green onions or chives
For the salad
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (65 g)
2 tablespoons butter (30 g)
2 heads little gem lettuce (~300 g), rinsed and dried
8 medium strawberries (160 g), hulled and thinly sliced
1 mini (Persian) cucumber, thinly sliced
Make ahead: The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Stir before using.
Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, water or milk, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Whisk in the olive oil, then stir in the dill and green onion or chives, if using. Set aside while you prepare the salad.
Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When it begins to foam and lightly brown, add the breadcrumbs and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Place the lettuce and cucumber in a large bowl. Tear any large lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces. Add 1⁄3 cup of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add more dressing or a little salt, if needed.
Arrange the dressed salad on a serving plate or divide among individual plates. Top with the strawberries and toasted breadcrumbs. Serve right away.
I completely agree, so much inspiration here on Substack.
Lovely Elizabeth! I especially love your morning ritual of pen to paper. One of these days I might just manage it myself!