women | the hostess

I recently bought a copy of the magazine DARLING, which advertises itself as a magazine about "the art of being a woman".  I'd love if it said the "science and art of being a woman" but I'm a nerd.  It's one of those pretty expensive magazines on beautiful paper that I love to just hold in my hands - other versions being Kinfolk, and others.  This magazine was recommended by a good friend, Colette, and is just really fun.  This most recent addition is divided up into different roles that women play -

including explorer, hostess, confidant, intellectual,  dreamer, and achiever.  Each has its own poem and then articles in the magazine that have something to do with it.  The articles are pretty good, the photos are beautiful, but the poems are definitely the best part.  Here is an (unauthorized, but cited!) version of the poem for hostess, which I think is my favorite one.  It makes me think of my amazing sister (check out her blog here) as well as one of my best friends, who has been in a rough spot for some time, despite absolutely personifying this poem.  As we start the season of the most, warmest, loveliest gatherings, this poem pulls at me more and more.  enjoy.

THE HOSTESS

by A.Vaughan

When the world comes into her kitchen,

hungry, she makes extra.  She says,

There is always enough. To her, a good

conversation is always the fourth course.

In her home, the world stops keeping

score and gives what it has. It's a little bit

like two-thirds recipe and one-third

mystery, the way a single candle can light up 

an entire dining room.  She is a kitchen 

timer with no bell: you can stay as long as 

you'd like. She is an iron tea kettle, a soft

flannel blanket.  The secret ingredients rae

riddles even to her; she doesn't have all the

answers, but she knows we love hardest when

we share, when we're safe. She says, mine is yours.

You are enough.

Who wouldn't take

an extra helping of that?  Who could resist?

Just the smell could knock a person off her feet.