the recipe

the recipe
is old. the paper it's on is
old.
yellowed,
wet and dry
with flour and oils.
oregano, thyme.
words are
smudged in her own
hand, but
you can make them out.
how many times
did she use
this over the years,
the decades,
remembering by heart
each measurement,
each ingredient,
but never once
giving thought
to throwing it out.
now it's yours.