Joan Mazza
Cravings
I can't say they've ever disappeared completely,
can't say I wouldn't love a glass of wine with ravioli
for breakfast, or any time it's too humid, too snowy,
and when I feel alone or out of sorts. Goodbye
Chianti, black Russians and pink squirrels. Oh,
I miss you, Bailys, Kahlua, and Grand Marnier,
miss your sparkle in the Waterford glasses
I gave away, miss that fat brandy snifter on the patio
in Fort Lauderdale during thunderstorms, hot toddies
in the hot tub in a mug, a Hurricane during a hurricane,
banana coladas, and Long Island iced tea. Sober,
I drink cranberry juice in a wine glass, or diluted
lemonade. Lately, I long for the sure cure for jitters,
bad news, and misogyny: sweet vermouth on ice
while I listened to the clatter-chatter of palm fronds
as pink bougainvillea blossoms skittered on the pool.
Bio
Joan Mazza worked as a microbiologist and psychotherapist, and taught workshops on understanding dreams and nightmares. She is the author of six self-help psychology books, including Dreaming Your Real Self (Penguin/Putnam). Her poetry has appeared in The Comstock Review, Potomac Review, Prairie Schooner, Slant, Poet Lore, and The Nation. She lives in rural central Virginia.