Scoop up a handful of dust
From where you’re standing.
Let it slip through your fingers.
Dig a little deeper,
Into the loamy
Dark chocolate of the topsoil.
Deeper still.
You will see the ochre,
Yellows, browns, reds, and purples,
In the clay.
Walk into the jungle.
Everything is green
Until you notice the birds.
White, black, red, yellow, orange.
Fruits, flowers, leaves
In identical colors
Tell you something if you care to know.
Tell you about smells,
About spices, herbs, nuts, and seeds,
About tannin and oils in the bark.
Life is everywhere.
In the open valleys,
On hillsides,
The magic of the chili dwells.
There too the corn is colored,
Gift from the sun and the rain,
Black, purple, yellow, white, blue.
Make a fire inside clay
Dug deep from the earth.
Listen to the colors and smells and tastes.
Fold into each other,
Dance together.
When the broth sings,
When you’ve ground everything
As fine as sand,
Mixed and strained and simmered,
A moment comes like the moment before
A flickering candle dies.
This is when,
If your invitation
Has been accepted,
The mole will arrive.
Of the “los siete moles de Oaxaca” which is your favorite? Personally, I like mole negro. As I understand it, mole negro has the most ingredients, over 30+ as I recall. It has a very rich, complex flavor. I miss those moles from our trip to Oaxaca some two years ago. Long live the tradition and all that comes with it.
I must admit that choosing a favorite is beyond my ability! They each compliment particular foods and they are all very difficult to make. I have several Mexican cookbooks. I’ve worked with Pilar Cabrerra and Lina Fernandez in the kitchen. Yet, I have never successfully managed to make a mole although I have tried. I would defer to the lyrics of Crosby, Stills, and Nash: if you can’t be with the one you love, honey; love the one you’re with. Thanks for the comment.