Poets Have Been Strangely Silent on the Subject of Potatoes....

Here is what I woke up to this morning:

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “How (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “How to Write a Poem,” “How Mechanical Pencils Work,” and “Howling at the Moon After Midnight in the Middle of a Thunderstorm.”

Perhaps, if I had been less tired, I could have come up with something better than this. But there was a raccoon.... or something.... wandering about last night, and the neighbour's dog took such exception to the creature, that it barked wildly and threw its great bulk crashingly against the tall wooden fence all night long. There was a point in which I felt very strongly that the proper thing to do was murder that animal, but it was the middle of the night, and I was far too wearied to be bothered dragging myself out of bed and doing the needful. I was not a happy person this morning. Nor was my mood and general outlook - not to mention my inventiveness - improved by a two-hour long employee training on ethics. The mind, I am sorry to say, simply refused to be creative. The mind was focused on comforting things, like coffee and chocolate and what I was going to have for dinner, aside from wine.

As a result, you get..... a recipe. 

How to Make Gnocchi

You start with potatoes

Simply and plainly,

Boiled up tenderly - 

Maybe a pound.

When done they'll skin easily,

Steaming and savoury

Mince them and mash them,

Pile them up in a mound.

Now a generous drizzling

Of golden, rich olive oil,

A measure of flour,

And a dash of salt too.

The center dent deeply,

And an egg you crack into it - 

A 'volcano' I call it, 

As my Nono used to.

Now using your fingertips

Gently incorporate,

Teasing ingredients,

To a warm, plaint dough.

Flour you add to it,

Little by little bit,

Kneading and working it,

- Easily though!

Til its firm yet elasticky

still warm from the boiling:

Dry on the outside, 

But moisty within,

Now flour the counter well,

Roll out long snakes of it,

Thinly and evenly

And cut it up small.

Now comes the tricky bit,

Fork-tines to roughen it:

Lay the dough firm on it,

Flip it, that's all.

To cook:

Boil in water with oil and salt -
Four or five minutes should be fine.
Drain them and serve them in a savoury sauce,
With Parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine.