Kind of light and fun for a sixth day of the Poem-a-day challenge. How are you doing out there poets and writers and appreciaters of art?
Cinnamon
A dash of this spice
in my coffee, cream makes it
oh so golden
with a tingle of chai
but if it’s too heavy
it could make me wheeze
and if it’s too light
just a pinch makes me sneeze.
Like nutmeg, the benefits are great,
good for insomnia &
good for the skin.
Come fall, in the states
folks love pumpkin lattes
even if temps have not fallen.
The use of this spice goes back a long way!
3,000 years ago the sweet-smelling
spice was used to embalm the dead.
All of these uses give this spice
a noteworthy name—
until in our modern age
studies found lead in it.
Jacquelyn Markham ©2025
“Cinnamon” is a poem I wrote in response to Day 6 prompt of Poem-a-Day 2025 (30 Poems in 30 days). Check it out!
Now, dear readers, how did I come up with this odd poem? Why yes, it was the day 6 prompt that gave us so many choices and directions to go by . Please, visit NaPoWriMo to get all details, but basically, you choose a number from the chart which leads to a taste that becomes the title and two more words to work in. In my case, wheeze and golden were the words.
The poem starts out lovely with a sweet-smelling scent, but alas, like so many wonderful things in our modern world, the spice turned toxic. Not all, of course, but be mindful! Still, cinnamon has some health benefits according to some reports, like these claims from Cleveland Clinic.
And then, we may want some retro music to accompany our latte, so here it is! Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl.”
Neil Young, “Cinnamon Girl”
All poems brought to you by Poet Voice (J. Markham).
Poet Voice 