Lasagna lesson
We're listening to feedback in this isue 147 of your weekly dose of fresh poetry
When you're told,
often, your lasagna
is really good, you believe. Until
your son asks for better.
Lesson learned.
A basic recipe, slightly tweaked. Mainly to add more vegetables and therefore more nutrients to the dish. That, but then evolved over time, and never made to recipe. Always a bit of an educated guess. My favourite lasagna recipe. And many people have told me over the years that it was delicious. Now, I’m not a master chef. I’m a hobby-home-cook. I do sometimes enjoy experimenting, and generally what I create is fine. I like it, mostly, and our guests tend to as well.
This is where the trouble starts. When all you get is positive feedback, you will build an image of yourself (and maybe even the world) that is tilted. It’s not complete. It is not something you will learn from. Whether people really mean it or are just polite, positive feedback is soul food for the ego, but if it’s all you get, it won’t help you grow. That is why I value honest opinions so much, and why I try to instill that in our kids. I always say they can be honest. I might not agree, but if it’s their honest opinion, they’re entitled to it. Especially when it comes to food. They always have to taste something, but if they don’t like it after that, they don’t. That’s fine. We learn from that.
So it was, too, with my famed lasagna recipe. I got too much positive feedback. Until the honesty of my son finally paid off: he wanted something better. “It’s not like real Italian lasagna, Dad”. I took that feedback and listened to it. I went back to lasagna recipes and learned. Then I created. It worked. The honest opinion of my son: yes, this was more like real Italian lasagna. And it looked good, too!
We tend to unlearn being honest. We tend to focus too much on being polite. Stay honest. It’s okay.
What have you learned from your kid’s honesty?
Three ways to support this Inbox Poetry Magazine:
Poetics in life
I shall sing. A song from an album released 50 years ago, in that magical year 1973. It must have been released to celebrate my birth. And I do sing. Every day. Not something to torture others with. My poetry is much more palatable, and my way of singing publicly.
Before this week, I did not know this wonderful song. Until the kids in my kids’ school performed it on their End of Year Celebration Show. Their performance was great, and they delivered with apparent great pleasure. Which always makes any performance better, I think. Joy is contagious. So, sing along. And keep singing.
(click the image below, generated by AI, to listen to the song on other platforms)
Poetry elsewhere
As you can see above, I believe music and poetry go hand-in-hand. Music and life go hand-in-hand. A poet who is very good at capturing that connection, in different ways, is the poet known as || wordstobepoetry ||. She writes a magazine, a newsletter and wonderful poetry. Like this poem: || life beat ||.
A dragon in your shed? I can’t imagine many poets that can make more enjoyable poetry with that than
. Whether it’s haiku, sonnets or any other form, she takes you to magical worlds. In her garden, or the surrounding desert mountains. This issue of her newsletter is no exception. Read it, enjoy it and subscribe:
There’s a book I’ve attempted to read three times now. And so far, I’ve not managed to finish it. But this time, I will. Fortunately, I know a poet who’s work inspires me. Especially because he celebrate Bloomsday, the day named after the main character of that book I’m speaking of, and the day that is described in that book. Yes, I am speaking of Leopold Bloom’s adventures on 16 June 1904, captured in that legendary novel Ulysses. Celebrate, a week late, but still, with
:
Thank you for teaching (and learning) through lasagna! Garfield would be proud 🥹
Oh, children! 😆