Making Mother's Day

She wanted tacos and enchiladas

Comfort food

From her childhood

Oil plopped in a skillet,

Ground beef crumbled by fingertips,

Cold, sticky,

A satisfying sizzle as touches pan

Salt, pepper, chili powder,

Comino,

The sacred spice

Pungent, filling the air

Tasting the meat as it cooks,

A little bland, more comino for spice

A bit more salt for contrast

Perfection

Fragrant comino

Filling the air

Piquant, sharp

Taco meat done

Enchiladas

Round stone burner

Package of white corn tortillas

Soft, moist, almost leaflike

Red enchilada sauce

Coating baking pan’s bottom

Tortilla on stone

Heating a few seconds

White corn

Browning softly

Grabbing just the edge

Nearly burning fingers

Flip the tortilla,

Heat the other side

Clump of silky grated cheese

Gathered in fingertips

Placed on one edge of tortilla

Rolled tightly

Cheese filled tortilla tube

Placed in the baking pan

Repeating,

Tortilla breaks

Eaten as a soft, chewy

Corn tasting snack

Eating discarded sharp cheddar

Shreds that fall

Soon a dozen neat

Tubes line the pan

Four more wedged on the side

Evenly spoon

Enchilada sauce

Covering each rolled tortilla

Pop it in the oven

Extra enchilada sauce

Another snack

Zesty tomato with a chili kick

Everything done

I fill her plate

Three enchiladas

Cheese bubbling on top

Taco shell,

Healthy filling of meet

More sharp cheddar on top

Two tacos next to enchiladas

Given to her like an offering

A crunch of tortilla

Fork clicking

Cutting a bite of enchilada

Here eyes close

A smile on her face

Happy Mother’s day.