Green Bell Peppers

green bell pepper smell 
all through the house
and not a pepper to be found here

maybe my grandmother’s come
and is ready to roast them
on the plates of her old gas stove

her gone these ten years
and the stove’s been ripped out
and junked almost as long

but the house smells like bell peppers
turning black on the iron plates
almost ready to be peeled

my fingers are itching
to set to work under her cataract eyes
I see them not seeing me

it’s been a while
she always knew what I was doing
I don’t know what I’m doing

smelling bell peppers that aren’t here
peeling bell peppers that aren’t here
pleasing my grandmother who’s not here