Molly Tenenbaum Hungry, With Fiddle and Bow Did they hurry at dawn, hunting food for tomorrow, Or did they dawdle, the apes? The nut-and-berry folks, could they fondle grapes Without firing up the jelly-pot for tomorrow? * All Sunday night, slicing sandwiches, dicing salads, I borrow A mood from George Jones on old tapes, Stay up too late. Next day I'm wiped -- Two todays traded for lunches tomorrow. * I should eat Cheerios. The God of Hours should haul me by the nape, Let the cutting board have its minced capers, I'll fiddle today, eat deli-bought microwaved meatballs tomorrow. * But before bed -- I'll just soak these garbanzos, Set dried shiitakes in water to steep, let tamarind soften and break. To sop up today is to cook for tomorrow. * So I can't play "Brickyard Joe," "Winding Sheep," "Bottle of Wine and Gingercake," Can't triplet the bow. But at least I can eat A dish of slivers (almond, red pepper) for dinner tomorrow. * And what about these limp carrots, potatoes? Add a little lovage, simmer stock, freeze for when flavors need sharpening up, And hope no one asks me how, saving scraps, I wasted music, stirring today to the bottom, foam skimmed from tomorrow. * On the last day, before fingers go, I won't cook a thing. I'll rosin up and rake The bow, and every tune I don't know, I'll fake, And that'll be the end, hacked music crashing to bits when it hits tomorrow. * I'll wish I'd been wind, swooping the hollows. I'll wish I'd lived on windfall apples. I was Fire on the Mountain, but stopped for a snack. I was gut-strung. boiling over, starving for tomorrow. * Remember how we lounged around the old cave-door, Picking lice and laughing at the crack, Little snaps in our teeth? One for you -- Love, let's go back -- One for me -- or let's be the lice, popped free from today and tomorrow. Molly Tenenbaum lives in Seattle and teaches English at North Seattle Community College. She is the author of Blue Willow (Floating Bridge Press, 1998) and By a Thread (Van West & Company, 2000). She also teaches old-time banjo, plays with the old-time string band The Queen City Bulldogs, and reviews music for The Old Time Herald magazine.