Best Valentine

is a day with power, heat, and anything
I want to eat. The word this year is self-care,
time to savor solitude and remember
to revel in gratitude for all the comforts

of modern life like generators and desserts
during ice storms. No need to leave the house.
Today’s the day for red foods to celebrate
a sweetheart Sunday, though I’m alone with cats:

minestrone soup, then ravioli and homemade
tomato sauce slow cooked with pork, a side
of eggplant parmigiana topped with
melted mozzarella. Extravagance measured

with coffee spoons can’t hurt, followed by
a nap because I’m old and I no longer flirt
with those who make me feel uneasy. No
plans for caving trips or cruises on rough seas,

no mountains or ladders to climb. Alone,
I love introspection, reading, play, and rest.
In pandemic time I embrace myself. I’m
steadfast, reliable, my best valentine.

Mountain Fever

The brave ones prepare to summit Kilimanjaro
or Everest, head out to Denali with easy-open
tents and portable stoves. In advance, they master
the hurdles of quickdraws and harnesses.

The appeal of height and danger remains a mystery.
I find no lure in struggle and discomfort. No desire
to carry oxygen or heavy backpacks up paths
strewn with discarded gear. My bucket list

will show you that I’ve abandoned the focus
on the physical, now favor an exploration
of inner space, prepare for discoveries I might
find breathtaking. All my mountains waiting

to be climbed exist inside, skills to learn I saved
for this sedentary life, to write the naked truth
of my naked years, beauty beneath skin,
the tales I never told that lie within.

Joan Mazza worked as a medical microbiologist, psychotherapist, and taught workshops on understanding dreams and nightmares. She is the author of six books, including Dreaming Your Real Self, and her poetry has appeared in Valparaiso Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, Italian Americana, Poet Lore, and The Nation. She lives in rural central Virginia. www.JoanMazza.com