When I set up my kitchen as a spouse
of 23 (the ones before were loose
arrangements with my roommates, in a house
or casual apartment – no excuse,
but no deliberate acquisition spree),
I purchased several powders, I recall,
to douse a kitchen fire, should there be
an accident when cooking. After all,
I’d seen my mother more than once or twice
extinguish grease with bicarb or with salt
(and once with scouring powder – that was nice).
I made our place equipped for fire halt.

It took me several years – no flame occurred –
to realize Mom’s mishaps were not assured.