I had planned not to get up
all day for the hangover
but then you told me
that you had prepared artichokes
and I had to go despite
from headache and dizziness

eat artichokes
it's an exercise in patience
disassemble sheet by sheet
scraping the pulp
with the bottom teeth
fingering
and in my case also the mustaches

the crust that remains
it is thrown on a plate
that usually gets in the middle
while making that particular noise
until reaching the heart
that as the common place dictates
it is always the most tender

I did not eat artichokes
since that birthday
In the grandma's house
and today that you cooked them
for the first time
we spent lunch
talking about her

that was our remembrance ritual:
tear
drag
leave the leftovers on the plate
and talk about her all the time about her
how well she cooked
of how impossible she was
understand their recipes