All Things Cheese with Tammi Belko
Welcome to Day 22 of Verselove. We are so happy you are here, however you choose to be present. If you know what to do, carry on; if you are not sure, begin by reading the inspiration and mentor poem, then scroll to the comment section to post your poem. Please respond to at least three other poets in celebration of words, phrases, ideas, and craft that speak to you. Click here for more information on the Verselove. Share a highlight from your experiences thus far here.
Tammi is a 5th and 6th grade ELA teacher and Gifted Intervention Specialist. As a middle school teacher and Power of the Pen writing coach, Tammi has spent over fifteen years sharing her love of reading, writing and poetry with her students. Tamara lives in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio with her husband and three children. When she isn’t absorbed in reading young adult literature, she can be found listening to music with her family, enjoying a walk or learning Tai Chi. She is the author of the young adult verse novel, Perchance to Dream.
Inspiration
As teachers we frequently encounter reluctant writers. To combat this reluctance, I have utilized many free write and choice prompts options in writing workshop settings in an attempt to encourage writing, but often these good intentions were not enough to engage my reluctant writers. Perhaps freedom of choice was daunting? Perhaps all the white space was just too overwhelming?
Interestingly enough, I discovered that many of my most reluctant writers have gravitated towards poetry. It’s brevity. It’s structure. The patterns. These elements of poetry provided exactly what my students needed in order for them to feel successful and also allowed their voices to be heard. Borrowed from the 2021 Poetry Marathon, I selected today’s prompt for its levity. The poet, G.K Chesterton once wrote “Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.” Use this prompt to write about cheese or any other favorite food. For inspiration, Benjamin Garcia offers his opinion of cheese in “Bliss Point or What Best Can Be Achieved by Cheese”.
Process
Begin by brainstorming
- List attributes of cheese or any favorite food.
- Consider how this food makes you feel.
- What connections do you have with this food?
- When do you consume this food and with whom?
- What forms does this food take?
- Can it be used to make other foods?
- Is it best paired with another food?
Ideas
- Incorporate some alliteration & personification
- Try an extended Haiku.
- Use Garcia’s poem as a template.
- Choose any form you want to experiment with or free verse.
Tamara’s Poem
All Things Cheese
The thing about cheese
It fulfills every craving
Breakfast, lunch, dinner …
Cheddar on my eggs
The best burrito breakfast
Scrambled perfection!
Provolone cheese, Yum!
Best bubbling in my pizza
Or a string cheese snack
Mozzarella cheese
Layered on my lasagna
Sprinkled on salad
But don’t stop just, yet
Grate gruyere, crumble some feta
Top your veggies, too!
More cheese, please!
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming.
Also, in the spirit of reciprocity, please respond to at least three other poets today.
Even though #VerseLove is officially completed, I am going back through to complete the days I missed. This experience has been a multi-faceted growth experience for me, and I’ve been both challenged and freed by the various prompts and the unflagging encouragement of all of YOU!
This topic took my mind in several directions… varieties of cheese, cheese as in cheesy smile, cheese platters/grazing tables, memories of debates about cheese…
Cheese
I love cheese
hard,
soft,
smelly,
dense,
holey,
they all
have their charm.
What, you don’t say!
I am too
indiscriminate,
too lacking in
sophistication?
Maybe I need to
cough and sneeze
stand at ease
enjoy the
evening breeze
or simply watch more
John Cleese.
Regardless,
it would
greatly pain me
to abandon
cheese.
This was such a fun and silly topic to right about! Here is my poem about Queso!
I hear my stomach rumble
And grumble
I know exactly what it wants,
It wants my favorite food
The only food that will stop the sounds
That comes from my stomach
I look in my fridge
But cannot find anything that will satisfy my hunger
Until I see
The best kind of food
The best kind of cheese
White queso
I pour it into the bowl
And hear my stomach start rumbling even louder
As I watch the microwave spin the queso
Around and around
The anticipation grows
Until I hear the beep
I can’t decide what to eat it with
Chips, pretzels, taco meat?
So many options to pick from
But I know no matter what I choose
The queso will be the best snack
That anyone could have
Isn’t cheese the best? I like how your last stanza, “I can’t decide what to eat it with
Chips, pretzels, taco meat?” emphasizes cheese’s versatility. Your poem was great fun.
Cheese Cake
The joy it brings,
With every bite,
Taste buds jump for joy,
The beauty it portrays
You may not know,
There are many alike,
Cheese cake alone,
Is best in a bite
What flavor you ask?
Why they have them all,
From Oreo to strawberry,
Each one delicious enough
You go back for seconds,
Regret the next day,
But life is so short,
Cheese cake is the best part
Katie, this is such a fun spin on “cheese!” I am also a cheesecake lover, to your poem is making me salivate.
Thank you, Tammi! What a fun way to engage your learners. Thank you for the fun prompt!
The Star
Cheese always has a place on my plate
A partner to many
Hot or cold, it
Never disappoints.
Blue cheese, however
the only disappointment.
Cheese foam.
A different type of cheese
can be found in a boba drink
Was surprisingly great!
Combining cheese and cake,
Combining cheese and noodles,
Combining cheese and beer.
The star of the day. Everyday.
Margaret, I enjoyed how you incorporated speaking about different kinds of cheese not just one cheese. Your alliteration with “the start of the day” was beautiful as well because we use cheese in just about everything!
Hi Tammi, thank you for sharing. Your poem opened my taste buds.
CREAM CHEESE
It costly but its a delicacy for me
I enjoy the thick spread over my warm blueberry muffin
The smooth taste savored in my mouth
This cheese is versatile
It comes in desert forms as well
Cream cheese ice-cream
Cheese Cake with thick strawberry topping
I also combine cream cheese with Irish potatoes
Also stir some in my mac and cheese
It can also be smothered into the frying pan
As the eggs sizzle in the pan.
Cream crease yes give me my cream cheese!
I love when you mentioned cheese cake, my absolute favorite. Nonetheless your words came together perfectly and you related cream cheese to so many different foods.
Dee,
What a fun poem! I liked how you described all kinds of ways cheese can be served!
CHEESE – has gotten me thinking for 2 whole days. I kept jotting and thinking and imagining. I LOVE cheese. In fact a couple of years ago a doctor suggested I cut out cheese in my diet – PREPOSTEROUS! Finally, here is my love song to Brie. Thank you, Tamara, for the cheesy inspiration!
Brie Love
The art of cheese
was perfected
by that wheel of Brie.
Its rippled rind
holding fast
it’s inner cheesy treasure.
I must confess
I’ve had a long love affair
with luscious Brie.
Hidden away, secreted
in a thick blanket
of golden pastry.
I took it up and devoured it all –
crust, rind, gooey middle
Wondrous, perfect love.
I love your choice of such descriptive words! It makes your poem so endearing.
This poem was very well written! Very descriptive! Felt like I was eating the cheese myself!
I know I am a day late, but I spent my Friday hanging out with my husband and our dogs walking on the beach. Actually we went to multiple beaches.
Every morning you great me
Bold and robust flavors
A mug full of coffee
Afternoons with too much to do
Call for a drive thru
A latte is just fancy coffee
When dinner is through
Dessert is served
Along side a full flavored coffee
DeAnna,
I feel the same way about coffee. There is never enough!
DeAnna,
This is SO you. Coffee is your essential element–I can’t picture you without it.
Yessss!! I was hoping yours would be about coffee… I was thinking about doing that myself 🙂 I love how you structured your poem. The first stanza is morning, then noon, then night. Wonderful!
My favorite way to start the morning – thanks for sharing.
most everything you eat starts
with some kind of seed but
that seed makes you wait months
to get anything decent.
not so with popcorn.
it has no performance anxiety.
there are all kinds of delicious foods
but only one magical one.
face it—there is no pop pork
or pop broccoli or pop pasta.
all delicious, but lacking enthusiasm.
a tiny kernel of truth:
popcorn never disappoints.
Love this, Kevin! I never thought of other foods as not being ‘pop’ anything – ! But, yes, it is quite logical. At least in poetic contemplation. Thanks for the smile this morning!
You made me smile – pop pork – pop broccoli – pop pasta.
I was thinking if they could invent pop pizza – they may have a hit!
Thank you!
Kevin — Truth! “Popcorn never disappoints”. This line — “it has no performance anxiety” had me in stitches!
Hi Kevin, thank you for sharing. When I think about popcorn I think about movie night cuddling and enjoying with my family….the last line popcorn never disappionts except if it gets stale.
Love this Poem Kevin! Great way to describe food!
Denying Lactose-Intolerance
Ignoring the rumbles
That seem to travel
Across my stomach wall,
The not-quite-right
Feeling throughout my body,
Almost like a slight
Poisoning of my systems,
The hints of nausea,
The heaviness that I feel —
Perhaps imagine —
I take another nibble,
Creamy saltiness upon my tongue.
Rhiannon, I don’t suffer from lactose intolerance but my baby has a dairy intolerance so for now I’m getting a taste. You describe the urge to consume and the occasional surrender to cheese so well. The “perhaps imagine” line really resonates with me. I so want it to have all been made up in my head!
Rhiannon — While I don’t have any trouble consuming dairy, my husband and daughter do. My husband has pretty much given it all up but my daughter sometimes sacrifices her tummy for a nibble. Your description
“The not-quite-right
Feeling throughout my body,
Almost like a slight
Poisoning of my systems,
The hints of nausea” — is just how she describes. Sorry. It doesn’t sound like fun at all. 🙁
Hi Rhiannon, oh mein, I could imagine the discomfort. Also, not being able to indulge in certain types of food. Your poem gave a vivid sense of what it does to your body. Take care
What a fun prompt, Tamara. I loved the example poem you wrote–it had me drooling! More cheese please is right!
My mother taught me,
the versatility of
our great hero: cheese
Wind down from work by
sipping on Coke and eating
Fritos with cubed cheese
Gooey peanut butter
on toast needs a yellow slice of
American cheese
Hamburgers are good
but one special topping does
make it better: cheese
So when I’m feeling
homesick, in need of comfort
I get out the cheese
Rachelle,
I like the third line repetition of cheese and how it’s stacked between your other lines like slender slices of cheese. Cheese is indeed a very versatile food.
Rachelle, this detailed list of how cheese shows up in your life is so cozy and satisfying to read. I’ve never heard of a peanut butter sandwich with cheese!! I’ll have to check it out!
Rachelle,
I enjoyed getting to know you better by the way you eat your comfort cheese. I love how your third line repetition of cheese ?
Rachelle — Cheese really goes with all things! Although I have to admit, I have never tried it on peanut butter.
Hi Rachelle, thank you for sharing…you really illuminated how versatile is to have cheese its not just food its spice things up and make your days brighter.
Young ones
Like the period you somehow
never see coming despite
its near clockwork timing,
those buttery-yellow mounds
appear in a produce bin
mid-April along with
an audible shriek as the
double-doors kiss together
locking out the humidity
seeping from the parking lot.
Even in Arkansas, you can find
a mango most of the year
next to the other small bins of
spiky, magenta, fuzzy, itsy bitsy, leathery
fruits shipped in from the other continents.
But those are green and red.
These are pollen yellow
on the surface and
deep sunset orange inside.
These drip thick streams
of juice across fingers,
knuckles, backs of hands.
These have a velvety soft,
pillowy heart with a fuzzy core.
These are ataulfo mangos.
Laura, I love the ode to ataulfo mangos. The imagery connecting this to a deep sunset orange was so vivid! My mouth is watering. The title is perfection! Thank you for sharing!
Laura — I love the personification “double-doors kiss” all the sensory images in your poem
“drip thick streams” and “velvety soft, pillowy heart with a fuzzy core”. Yum!
A perfect summer fruit!
Thank you everyone for such a fun cheese filled day! I have had so much fun reading everyone’s poems. Your poems truly made my soul smile today. Namaste.
You simply cannot know
how difficult it was to pull
this farmer off the farm.
His family’s vacations
were to look at cattle
buy cattle, sell cattle.
When I, at last, dragged him
across
the Iowa border
into Wisconsin
and felt the cheese curds
squeak against my teeth
I (almost) forgave him.
You know a cheese curd is good when it squeaks. I love the way “squeak against my teeth” sounds out loud!
Allison – you’ve shared this tug of war in such a graceful way. That tugging is no easy thing. I feel the “squeak” of both the cheese and the frustration “(almost) forg[iven]. Once again, you are a master. Hugs, Susie
Allison — I love the way you describe the conflict “at last, dragged him/across/the Iowa border” and love the sensory image of “cheese curds/squeak against my teeth”
How fun . . . narrow topics often really help!
Real Versus Fake
I love cheese but
have a strong disdain
for cheese-flavored things.
I think it’s the color
or the powder
or the filmy coating it leaves
in your mouth.
No Cheez-Its
or Goldfish
or Doritos
or Cheetos
or Parm Crisps
or cheesy popcorn.
My stomach turns
at the thought of
any of those..
But give me a good
gouda
or pecorino romano
or brie
or asiago
anytime.
With a cracker
or without.
As a dip or fondue
or melted.
On a pizza
or in a salad.
Cheese is always
a welcome part of any meal.
The grilled cheese
is the perfect meal.
Colby Jack on a Triscuit
a perfect snack.
Cheese is a staple
but keep the flavored
crap away from me.
~Susan Ahlbrand
22 April 2022
Oh, Susan! I am HUNGRY! This was a sensuous delight! Pass that Colby Triscuit my way!
Susan,
No Cheetos? No Goldfish? That’s sacrilege! JK! Wonderful lists of the faux cheese items you dislike vs. the real cheese you love!
Susan — Ha! No cheetos! I get you. Only the real deal no artificial cheese for you. 🙂
Kasey — This is such a splendid image of broccoli! They seem to pretty to eat but your “delicate drizzle of oil/just a salt sprinkle, high heat” makes them sound delectable. I think I need to prepare my broccoli with a little more care.
Charcuterie
Such a fancy word
Dill havarti?
Yes, please!
Wensleydale cheddar
with cranberries?
Mmm…bring it on!
Plain ol’ Velveeta
in the crock pot
with tomatoes
and sausage?
Scoop me up a bowl
with some chips!
Hi, Julie! Your charcuterie board looks enticing! Thank you for a nice variety!
Julie,
Havarti–yum! Wensleydale? That one takes me straight to Wallace and Gromit cartoons with my sons. I love the variety and now I’m hungry. 🙂
Julie — My daughter bought me a new charcuterie board for my birthday last month, so we’ve been having a lot of cheese and crackers lately, but I haven’t had Wensleydale cheddar with cranberries. It sounds delicious. I think that will go on my shopping list.
Ooh, I love a good charcuterie board and yours sounds quite delectable. Thanks for sharing.
What a fun topic… cheese makes everything better. What would life be without it?!
For the Love of Cheese
Freeze….
Just gimme the cheese,
And no one will get hurt.
The molten queso cream
That bathes each nacho chip
Letting them swim
In a pool of ecstasy we call dip.
The boldness of sharp cheddar
On my crispy Triscuit cracker
That transforms me into such
A beaming, satisfied snacker.
The gooey pull of smooth mozzarella
Which continues to entice
As I sink my eager choppers
Into each pizza slice.
Pleasuring my palate
Is that spicy pepper jack
Gracing my saltine
And cutting no slack.
My new cheesy love of tequila habanero
That once in the mouth
Throws a party of revelry
Before it goes south.
So many cheeses
So little time
I hope there’s cheese in Heaven
Because it sure is divine!
Fun and funny, Katy. Your rhymes really work here. That last stanza really had me smiling.
I am not a cheese person, but in your poem, it sounds so delicious! Thank you, Kathy!
Kathy, this was a fun read. This is my favorite stanza:
“The molten queso cream
That bathes each nacho chip
Letting them swim
In a pool of ecstasy we call dip.” because cheese dip is a favorite pastime! And I hope there are a bed of tortilla chips lounging beside that pool of ecstasy.
Kathy,
This stanza —
“The molten queso cream
That bathes each nacho chip
Letting them swim
In a pool of ecstasy we call dip” — makes me want to run out now for some queso. I’m going to be dreaming about it tonight.
Katy, you have a brilliant sense of SOUND! As well as wit!
Freeze….
Just gimme the cheese,
And no one will get hurt.
“So many cheeses
so little time”
deserves a t-shirt!
<3
Hahaha ?
Kathy, this stanza:
My new cheesy love of tequila habanero
That once in the mouth
Throws a party of revelry
Before it goes south.
That party on the taste buds is sensual imagery that just sparks pictures of Spanish guitars and shouts of ole’! There is absolutely nothing like taco Tuesday and habanero tomorrow.
Strasbourg
By Mo Daley 4-22-22
I remember sitting
l a n g u o r o u s l y
outside at the winstub
feeling the spring chill descend-
you with a glass of beer,
me with a pichet of red
savoring our flammekueche
bite by glorious bite
no waiter interrupting with
“How is everything?”
making us feel as if we had to rush
then strolling home
arm in arm
guided by the cathedral’s night song
and I wish we were there again
Mo,
This sounds so lovely and relaxing! I have to admit to having to use copious context clues for the unfamiliar words–but that made the immersion into the poem all the more complete. What a glorious idea to have a leisurely meal without any prodding to move on.
Mo — I’ve never been to Strasbourg, but the picture you paint and “the cathedral’s night song” reminds me of the time I spent in Brussels. Beautiful poem.
Oh, so strange. I’ve been reading a book with my kids set in Brussels. It’s been on my mind a lot lately. I wonder if I channeled it somehow!
Mo, this is such a reminiscent… such a reflectively lovely “wish.” Thoroughly beautiful. I love the German language spice and in those lines and the loving image of walking “arm in arm” to the music. Aah! Sweet. Susie
Mo,
Beautiful homage to Strasbourg! Love the romanticism of eating cheese in France. I’m feeling like April and poetry make our little group more romantic, and I’ll not share where that takes my mind! Suffice it to say I’ve read some love and sexy poems here today!
“Tiny faerie trees flourish floret forests…” love this ode to broccoli!
I like cheese well enough, but it doesn’t come close to another craving.
Otherwise known as
the heavenly
decadent
addictive
intoxicating
gift
that is
cocoa beans
and sugar
blended into
the irresistible
dark treat
I can’t resist.
Cover hazelnuts,
pecans,
salted caramel,
raspberries,
orange peel,
or pretzels
and you have me
in a compromising
position.
Extra dark
please,
preferably free trade,
none of that
milky muted blend
masquerading
as real chocolate.
Give me the
barely sweetened
complex flavors
of sumptuous,
sensual,
smooth and silky
dark chocolate.
Bliss in a bite.
Cara, this is delicious! I love your alliteration: “sumptuous, / sensual, / smooth and silky / dark chocolate. / Bliss in a bite.” So good!
Cara, again, I feel like we might be soulmates. My first instinct was to write about chocolate. You’ve done it perfectly. Are you familiar with Vosges chocolates? One of my favs. My favorite line of your poem was
“Cover hazelnuts,
pecans,
salted caramel,
raspberries,
orange peel,
or pretzels
and you have me
in a compromising
position.”
Definitely one of life’s best pleasures… yum!
Cara — I have to admit, I like chocolate better too. This line made me laugh “and you have me/in a compromising/position” — chocolate can do that to ya. LOL!
Holy Moses! Yes, Cara! I’m with you 100%. Dark, luscious chocolate! Love this!! Susie
Although I love the alliteration of “milky muted blend / masquerading / as real chocolate”, I have to agree with you that dark chocolate is much better! Thank you for making my mouth water!
Oh Cara you have given dark chocolate the ode it truly deserves. Of course you sprinkled alliteration one of your other favorites.
Ooh, your alliteration adds to the decadence of this fine treat. Thanks for sharing.
Tammi–food! It’s a poetry topic that always works with my young students. I love your extended cheese Haiku…so much to love! I decided that I don’t love cheese enough to write about, so I picked ice cream instead. And on this Friday at the end of a long week–just a single Haiku is what I choose! (PS–Car-a-mel is my pronunciation)
Ice Cream
Ice cold and creamy
dreamy caramel choco-
late. Dinner tonight?
@kd0602
Nothing can challenge an ice cream dinner, can it? This is a perfect way to introduce kids to haiku writing. Love it!
Kim, you don’t mess around. Just get to the task a hand! Write about a favorite food! Maybe your poem is a reason I chose ice cream for dessert today. Sure you’re not doing commercials for the dairy industry that not getting press until today? Caramel and chocolate. Yummy!
Kim — What’s not to love about ice cream. This is the perfect Haiku for the beginning of a beautiful weekend.
With regard to food poetry for young students, my son (now 23) fell in love with poetry in second grade while writing about ice cream.
Yes! Dinner, or at least dessert as the first course.
Tammi, thank you for today’s inspiration! It definitely spoke to me! This prompt brought some memories that I would like to share with everyone today.
Dear Cheese,
I used to hate pizza because of you
When pizza was ordered, the toppings were
my go-to for the day. I was happy for it,
but my brother wasn’t
One day, I decided to give you an opportunity
Rejected sometimes, but welcomed you
little by little
I started to like pizza and quesadillas
Quesadillas for breakfast & dinner, why not?
No more “toppingless” pizzas for my brother
a win-win isn’t it?
Years passed, something didn’t seem right
“You may try avoiding dairy items,” the doctor said
Wait what? Can you repeat that again?
I wasn’t used to non-dairy products
Driving to the supermarket I realized
most of my favorite meals included you!
Almond milk and non-dairy cheese?
No more mozzarella for me
a lose-win isn’t it?
Months passed, I needed to find a solution
Got used to some non-dairy items
but Cheese? You’re still in the picture
I switched “lose” for “balance”
a win-win for you and me
Carolina, you have written about my worst nightmare! I suspect dairy might be giving me some issues, but is it enough to cut out cheese? I think not! I love your idea of balance. Maybe I’ll give it a try…
I love that you’ve included your brother in this poem.
I had a friend that didn’t like cheese, but she and pizza were good friends, lol. Cheese will pull you in slowly but surely! I hope your health will continue to allow you to share in its deliciousness in some way.
Carolina — We have to strike that balance in my home as well. Both my husband and daughter have a similar relationship with dairy products. Although, they don’t always exercise restraint when it come to ice cream and then they are hurting for days.
Thank you for such a wonderful prompt, Tamara! It is funny that cheese is the topic because I still have a notebook paper lined “Ode to Cheese” a student wrote years ago. It is somewhere in my school binders. The inspiration being their observations of my near-daily cheese snack at the start of their hour, haha. Here’s mine about friendship and cheese.
Friends share a charcuterie board of
Olives, crackers, and grapes draped around the guests of honor
Sharp cheddar, brie, feta, and gouda. Without them, there is no party,
no jokes or puns. That was pretty goud-a, right Jennifer? (groans commence).
Each friend takes up their favorite combination and toasts to with crumbling crackers for
Many more cheesy moments to come. No judgment on what you choose just take a bite (or two)
And enjoy!
So fun to read your poem, Jinan! I totally agree that without cheese there is no party! I definitely loved the phrase “many more cheesy moments to come.” Thanks for sharing!
Jinan, your poem seems as welcoming as the charcuterie board! I didn’t find your poem cheesy at all.
Okay, Jinan. You’ve made the record. Each day we’re supposed to learn something new. Until today, I was unfamiliar with the term charcuterie. When I started reading your poem I thought that word was another kind of cheese! So many kinds of cheese have “non-English” names, so, I just breezed through your poem. Until I got to the end. She’s not talking about a new kind of cheese. She listed several kinds. Maybe I better go back and reread. That time, Hmm. Maybe charcuterie is a kind of special wood, like a cutting board. But that didn’t feel right. Re-reading didn’t help, so I did what we encourage our students to do. I did a web search and now I know! Your poem was short, but it certainly made me work to find meaning because of one unknown word. Thanks a mil!
Jinan — Cheese and friendship! I agree. That’s a great combination.
DEVELOPING THE PALETTE
Fresh curds
straight from ol’ Silver –
our very giving Jersey –
were always in the icebox
or wrapped in gauzy cheesecloth
on the way to the table;
salt and pepper,
maybe fresh slices of tomato,
cottage cheese,
why…every day was Earth Day.
Didn’t know squat about cheddar
or blue or jack or STL provolone,
let alone “fer’un” brie or edam
or that holey Alpine cheese,
or Glenda’s truffled yum.
While farm-fresh cheese,
now labeled “artisan,”
was just smelly old socks
up against the IGA’s choices in town;
there, we learned about
“‘mer’can” yeller cheese
and the holy melter of all —
Velveeta!
Chemicals?
What were those?
Slabs off Mama’s block of butta
that she just patted warm into the dish,
crisscrossing the top with fork tines
just to be fancy,
slathered on both sides of Wonder white,
(18¢ a loaf),
then perfect squares
of the Liquid Gold shingled to cover
bread so squishable that it dared
our fingers to “play with our food”;
finally, we mmm-ed to the sizzling
in the cast iron,
waiting, wiggling in our chairs
round the kitchen table —
gourmet
all the way.
by Susie Morice, April 22, 2022
Susie, your poem is pure Americana. From the ice box to the Wonder Bread to the cottage cheese- I can picture it all. So evocative of a midwestern childhood.
Susie, we’re both hillbilly gourmets! That Velveeta w/ some smoked gouda makes perfect mac ‘n cheese. Now that’s sophistication. I do love your little poke at my truffle cheese, and I have to tell you I can’t pronounce those French words in my poem. I’m a total poser! Ya can’t take the Ozarks out of the girl and the Missouri twang is a dead giveaway no matter how much lipstick I slather on. Love the idea of every day being earth day and hour happy cow gifting curds. If you really want to fancy up your food, crunch up potato chips on the tuna casserole! Right? I simply love this poem and have a big, cheesy smile plastered on my face. ❤️ you!
Gourmet all the way! Yes! I love the specific details such as 18 cents a loaf and liquid gold. You are speaking my language here, Susie! Great job of capturing a time when you could serve up your own cheese curds without even considering how wonderful this could be like having to choose a date to become Earth Day! Brilliant connection to Earth Day, btw! So many awesome connectiins throughout your poem. Sensational poem!
Susie — just loved the image in this stanza:
Slabs off Mama’s block of butta
that she just patted warm into the dish,
crisscrossing the top with fork tines
just to be fancy,
slathered on both sides of Wonder white
and I completely forgot today was Earth day!
Tammi, you’ve made my day with this prompt! Cheese, in all its diversity, could probably be used to bring about world peace, lol. I agree with you 100%, cheese really does “fulfill every craving”.
Oh Sweet Cheese!
Darling, when they grill you
And you sizzle
Topped with honey drizzle
You make my heartbeat skip.
The way you crumble
at my fingertips
The way you melt
on my tongue
People would think
There was something going on.
But little do they know
This is a labor of love
The melting and the crumbling
The stretching and the spooning
Oh my, I’m swooning!
[My poem is a shoutout to all my favorite cheeses: halloumi, feta, mozzarella, cheddar, and cream cheese]
Saba, go sit by Scott and Anna! Y’all steaming up this place today!
“The stretching and the spooning
Oh my, I’m swooning!”
I’m gonna need a fan to hide my blushing face. And you can borrow Anna’s Parental Advisory label! ? Fantastic poem.
Saba, I love the ode to cheese you wrote, highlighting all the things I also love about cheese. Yes to all your favorite cheeses listed at the bottom! I agree, I needed a fun poem prompt to end this hectic week and yes to food uniting across the globe.
Oh my! It fascinated me to read the first three lines where you add a beautiful rhyme.
And you sizzle
Saba — You certainly turn on the heat with those last few lines!
“This is a labor of love
The melting and the crumbling
The stretching and the spooning
Oh my, I’m swooning!”
Thank you Tammi! I needed the brevity today. In college I was known for my love of cheese so this was a fun one. Hadn’t done a Haiku yet this month so I thought it might be fun to give it a try.
Cheese!
Can’t think of one bad
If it’s there then I’m eating
Crackers or alone
Cubed, chunked, or slices
My reputation proceeds
I’ll take it all please
Adorn it on top
Mix it in until it fades
Or melt it within
Passed appetizers
Fun and fresh fancy hors devours
Or even alone
It is from heaven
A gift we do not deserve
Great…now I’m hungry
Rob,
Haiku work we’ll w/ today’s cheesy topic. I’m definitely getting lots of ideas for consuming cheese. Forget mana from heaven. I’m certain the Israelites roamed the desert those long years because God sent them cheese!
Rob, your last line made me laugh out loud. It is true, this poem prompt is definitely going to make many of us hungry! And yours definitely made me crave some cheese!
Rob — I love it. Homage to the “there ain’t no bad cheese” wonder of it all. Fun poem! And, indeed, now I’m hungry! Susie
Rob — I agree, I “can’t think of one bad” thing about cheese either. Love your second stanza —Cubed, chunked, or slices/My reputation proceeds/ I’ll take it all please.
Kasey, what a delightful look at broccoli! Your advice about how to eat it is priceless, although I tend to like mine with some cheese. Loved “bright green bonnets”.
Tammi, thank you for your playful prompt today. I actually spent a long time writing and finally ended with this nod to William Carlos Williams poem “This Is Just to Say.”
Sweet Revenge, William
I have eaten
the cheese
you bought at
the deli
and the
grapes and chocolates
hidden
for snacktime
Forgive me
for savoring treats
so fine
with red wine
Barb Edler
22 April 2022
Ha! Loved this!!
Barb! A perfect distillation of the prompt and the WCW poem we all love. “so fine with red wine” convinces me we must share vino and cheese one day.
Glenda, agreed!
Barb, I can relate to this. My Husband is still at work and all this talk of cheese (and the sound of rain on the window) is making it very tempting to make up a nice platter and pour a glass of wine! I loved the line “and the
grapes and chocolates
hidden
for snacktime”
are you just hiding the chocolate or the grapes too? 🙂
Barb, I hope you leave this sweet note in place of the missing treats – this poem will do much to make amends, I think!
Ooo, yes, cheese and wine…and grapes and chocolates…dang, now I’m really hungry! Mmmm-mmm good! Susie
Oh yes! I love a sorry, not sorry poem and this one is a delight! “…so fine with red wine.”
Barb — Love this “forgive me/for savoring treats/so fine/with red wine”. Everything is better with wine! — Also love the nod to William Carlos Williams. I frequently share his poems as copy change models for my students.
I’m just here to say
that extra sharp cheddar cheese
is superior
like a desert rain
it satiates the palate
quenching the munchies
Rachel, Love your simile. I had to laugh at your last line. Very fun!
I 100% agree with you Rachel. I especially loved your last two lines, I need to use “satiates” more often!
I LOVE the Poetry Marathon – thanks for the reminder, Tamara, because it’s coming up in June again this year! I can only manage a half marathon, but my hat is off to all who are finishers! Thanks for this great prompt. Nope. I’ve never written about cheese, but a couple of conversations are rattling around in my brain. Aside from this one is the one with a friend who is vegetarian and says she would be vegan – if it weren’t for her love of cheese! To each their own, I say – but not everyone does. Thus – today’s poem.
Cheesy Memories
I’ve been displaced by
my sister being vegan.
It’s not just her identity that changed
but all our memories with it.
Remember fighting over the
burnt cheese on the pan
whenever Mom made
homemade pizza?
So militant in her persuasion
even the mention
of such memories
makes her angry.
How dare I recall
her eating cheese
now she is so opposed
to knives over forks.
Veganism took my sister away
ruined happy childhood memories
and taints every meal with guilt.
I am now just another
auntie who is not vegan
to my niece and nephew.
Someone who does not align
with their vision of
a righteous world.
I don’t understand
how it came to this
cruelty of identity.
Remember the ten years
I was vegetarian?
I ask my sister.
No, she replies.
Exactly.
This is so great. Your ending made me laugh: “No, she replies. / Exactly.” I’ve had many good friends with different allergies / preferences and they are hard to work around! Where can we go to lunch together? What do I even have in my house that’s gluten free? Diet differences really can create divisions between us!
Denise, oh my, I am laughing but this is not really laughable. I have a daughter-in-law who is “vegetarian” but once I was going to make grilled cheese with Velveeta…oh my gosh, that caused quite a ruckus. I left the kitchen. I guess Velveeta cheese is really not cheese, but I grew up eating gravy on toast so they have to forgive me for my ignorance. I am sorry your sister’s choice borders on the fanatic and has caused, I’m pretty sure, some hurt feelings Love how you created this poem through a relatable conversation! Great poem!
Thanks, Barb! From my years working in the restaurant biz, and in my reply to Seana Wright’s poem, I can’t tell you how many kitchens use Velveeta as their “secret ingredient.” Chances are, if it’s creamy and it’s called “cheese” anything in a restaurant that costs less than $20 a plate, it’s Velveeta – or some cheaper knockoff. So, cheers to you, friend! Velveeta away with my full blessing! I also recently learned of the beautiful “beans on toast” which is delicious with a slice of “American cheese” – which also contains a dubious amount of actual dairy.
Denise, I appreciated your conversational form and how you brought levity to an otherwise serious issue. I felt that frustration especially the use of the word “taint” and just the ending, so powerful and poignant.
Denise — LOLOLOL! This is SOOOO so honest and the crazy, exasperating mess of food choices that conveniently lose memory….sheesh! While I get not wanting to eat “anything that has a mother”… I just cannot find a way to un-remember the love around cooking those great meals together…all the fun. And heck…cheese…really???…the cow still stands and still gives milk freely every day…so I don’t understand the no-cheese part of the deal. Alas. I LOVED your poem. And I too am “just another auntie”… oh well. Hugs from this cheesy gal! Susie
I love all the feelings and thoughts that come in your poem! I think it is fascinating how well you define the situation when you wrote “cruelty of identity.” I was not expecting that twist at the ending, but that’s what makes your poem so relatable and fun! Thanks for sharing.
Denise — I feel like diet differences can be almost as divisive as politics sometimes. Eating is supposed to be comforting not confrontational. Sorry to hear your sister has spoiled your happy childhood memories.
Regarding the Poetry Marathon, I’m only a half marathoner as well. See you in June.
So after many thoughts about cheese, melted stringy cheese that has caused many messes for me over the years won the idea battle.
My teeth sink through the dough.
As my mouth pulls away
s
t
r
e
t
c
h
a gooey arc
bridges the distance from mouth to pizza slice.
Mozzarella giggles ensue
as my tongue tries to
reel in
this string bridge
before it collapses…
SPLAT
sauce and cheese on my shirt.
So fun! I love “stretch” spelled out line by line, as well as “SPLAT.” I think we can all relate to this beautiful pizza description – including the last bit!
Oh, Cathy, this is priceless. I am forever splatting something on my shirt. Excellent job of formatting your words to show the action. Students would love reading this one. “Mozzarella giggles” ….yes! Excellent poem!
I loved the playfulness of your poem. The formatting absolutely told a story and you painted the perfect picture. The pacing so wonderfully gave the sense of trepidation we have all felt in this situation.
Your poem is making me crave pizza with extra cheese! Love it!
Cathy, this poem is the perfect verbal mirror to the stretchy cheese experience of pizza! Love the idea of ‘reeling in the string bridge before it collapses’ and that one letter per line of STRETCH is perfect!
Perfect description of this experience! Love your streeeeetched out string of gooey goodness!
Me too…it’s the playfulness that really stands out. I love the stretch stretched out and the splat that I can see (it only seems to happen when I am wearing that white shirt!).
Cathy, this is fun! I really love the “look” of your poem, the typography of the “stretch” and all caps of the onomatopoeic “SPLAT.” Thanks for this!
Cathy — you have nailed the pizza eating experience! I have ruined many a shirt with sauce too!
The perfect promo to lead us into the weekend! Thank you!
She was the best cook. Before
the final sop, the only sounds
were spoons and forks
scraping empty plates:
bowls of escarole soup
with chunks of chewy parmesan,
everyday burgers wrapped
’round orbs of sharp blue cheese,
holiday lasagna oozing mozzarella.
It didn’t matter what she
simmered, sizzled or baked,
my mother was the best cook ever.
Yet,my favorite culinary memory
is her sitting across from me
at the kitchen table,
listening to after school tales
told between dunks of Oreos in milk,
or nibbles of triscuits
dressed in a frilly swirl of orange cheese
squirted from a can
Just love how you ended the poem- “dressed in a frilly swirl of orange cheese squirted from a can”. Such memories flooded my brain when I read that. I had totally forgot about eating cheese that way. Thanks for the walk down memory lane with my cousins at grandma’s house.
Ann, your poem warms my heart. I was thinking of cheese in a can today. Why is it so good? Great list of the wonderful meals your mom made, the only sound of everyone eating was especially powerful. Fantastic poem!
Ann – I love how your story of your mother’s splendid cooking turned into a story of listening and love. My favorite moments with my mother also occurred at the kitchen table.
Tamara, it was fun to read the list of cheeses and ways to use them. Funner still to see how many I need to my “must try” list! I was feeling a little silly today, so I wrote this poem about cheesy smiles.
Cheese or Cheesy?
Cheese is made from sour milk
Some cheeses are crumbly
Other cheeses are smooth as silk
Why did she say His smile was cheesy
When he grinned but his actions seemed freezy
No, not shady. he was just trying to please me
When he is being touchy-feely
He makes my heart crumble with glee
When his cheesy smile I see
She’s just sour milk, he’s something better
How his toothy grin causes my heart to flutter
Smooth as silk, I don’t care an ilk
Cheese comes from milk just like butter.
And just like butter he greased the way
Now with my own cheesy smile, I revel recalling the day
When he asked, I consented, and said okay.
Anna, I love all of the dairy imagery–this is so much fun! My favorite line is “Cheese comes from milk just like butter.”
Anna,
TMI! I’m gonna slap a parental advisory label in this steamy, cheesy poem! LOL! You and Scott are gonna get us in trouble w/ the censors! Ha!
“When he is being touchy-feely…”
And the innuendo in that last verse, well, I’m blushing! Props from Ken, too!
Glenda, oh my, your response is too funny! Love the explicit content label.
I’m chuckling about this one. Maybe he was just holding my hand! Folks are always reading into poems trying to make them say more than was intended!
Oh, that’s why we teach students to come to the poems with an open mind.
Now, you’ve filled them with the thoughts of unmentionable behavior Really, Glenda, if the poem were not labeled, the kids wouldn’t be trying to see what has the poet hidden!
It’s like banning books. 🙂
anna,
I learned from my students! ?
Anna, I’m glad your poem ended with a positive vibe. For a moment, I thought something shady was happening. Your cheesy smile graphic is a delightful as your poem:)
I feel a little rap to this. I love the imagery and the tone.
Anna — I love how you turned a poem about a cheesy smile into a poem about falling in love —“She’s just sour milk, he’s something better/How his toothy grin causes my heart to flutter”
Ode to Food
We were friends, once:
Fellow bread-thren.
I worshipped at your pagan altar,
Throwing caution to the west winds.
An orgiastic feast,
Buffalo-sacrificed:
Tender and hot chicken wings,
Meat parted reverently from bone.
Sausage subs, onions, mayo:
Savory sassy sauce
squooshing from between buns,
prepared lovingly by gods
St. John and St. Mary.
Pizza!
I, the member of an elite
(Bocce) Club,
Cabal of of enthusiasts
Exulting over spicy sauce
Gooey cheese
Tiny pepperoni,
Edges crisped and cupped
To receive the communion
Of grease
That blessed them.
The before-times.
Then.
You turned.
My sacrifices not enough
To appease a hungry god.
My punishment?
A curse on my
Beleaguered belly
That grew and festered
With age. Now
Food is foe.
Beguiling…
Then defiling.
Elixir of fiber
Triumphs over
Bubbles of soda,
Flowery finish
Of sugary wine.
How much sugar?
How much salt?
How many carbs?
Questions which plague
A damned and damaged
Digestive tract.
Once a bacchanal of
Fat, feasting, and fun…
Now a fast from
The fatty
The fried
The fromaged.
A beautiful tribute and clever poem! Love your last lines, though pity your fast from the fatty, the fried and the fromaged!
Isn’t this the worst?! “Elixir of fiber / Triumphs over / Bubbles of soda…” Haha I can relate! Your last three lines are perfect – love the alliteration.
Wendy, oh boy, I understand the turn here. All I could think about today was my love of food, cheese, and all the bad things I’ve eaten and why I look like I do. Ugh! I loved how you opened your poem with “ bread-thren.” and all the ways in which we feast on food. I particularly enjoyed the lines “Savory sassy sauce
squooshing from between buns,
prepared lovingly by gods”
If only we could eat without remorse. Sensational poem!
Your poem was a treat for the senses, Wendy. Loved the whole thing but the ending most of all!
Wendy,
These lines really some up my life —
“Once a bacchanal of/Fat, feasting, and fun…/Now a fast from/The fatty/The fried/The fromaged.”
There was a time when I could indulge in any food without worry or if I gained a few pounds I could lose it easily. Now I need to work out every day for a week to burn off one slice of pizza and a glass of wine.
Tammi,
I agree w/ the sentiments in your poem. Cheese “fulfills every craving. Last month I purchased cheese in Strasbourg, France. That’s the inspiration for my poem, which sent me off to research. You’ll see why.
Le goût du terroir
taste the soil
umami earthiness
caressing lips
titillating tongues
traveling across
continents
birthed
beneath
hazelnut trees
rare subterranean fungus—
truffles:
culinary treasures
black melanosporum
once grunting sows
now snorting
lagotto romagnolo
root &
burrow
this rare delicacy
sottocenere al tartufo
soft & gooey
truffle cheese
encased with the
cheesemaker’s
ark of the covenant:
spice-infused
ashes—
coriander
nutmeg
cinnamon
licorice,
cloves &
fennel
folded in wax paper
shrink-wrapped
gently packaged
travel-ready
artisanal
truffle cheese
the taste of the land
paired with honey
coupled with French vino
accessorizing risotto
shaved razor thin to last
the way a slow
orgasmic memory
lingers on the
palette
—Glenda Funk
April 22, 2022
*Title translation is the first line.
Glenda,
What a tribute. Your language caresses the food, holding it up for our examination, reverently. I’m so hungry now! XD
Ahem [tugging at the collar of my dress shirt] did it just get warm in here! Lol! This is how I like my fromage! (which as I’ve come to learn is not frottage, but according to your last stanza, Glenda, they can lead to the same thing. Lol.) I loved the sensual details throughout, but the ones in your first stanza are so good, so cleverly and euphemistically mischievous!
Ooo, Glenda — There is a long stretch of sensual cheese ahead of me…you have served it up (“umami” made me smile) and I can see myself on a quest for truffle cheese now. Oh my! I love how you strung out the bits of love as if making that razor-thin sliver last like the “slow/orgasmic memory/linger[ing]on the/palette.” Ooo. yeah! Gorgeous poem…tantalizing and exquisite! Sexy cheese…mmm-mmm, gotta have it! Thank you for such a delicious poem! Susie
Whoa, Glenda, I am thinking you need an explicit label on your poem. Your words are as wonderful as the food you describe. I want some of that truffle cheese, too! Absolutely relished:
“the way a slow
orgasmic memory
lingers on the
palette”
You definitely show the sensual side of the appetites here! Outstanding poem!
Glenda, you have successfully added one more cheese to my cheeses-to-try list. 😀
Glenda, I am not a fan of cheese – but your poem makes me rethink my position! What a sensory, sensual experience; so delicious, I have no doubt. This sounds heavenly –
Glenda — Love all the vivid images and these lines — “shaved razor thin to last/ the way a slow/ orgasmic memory/ lingers on the/ palette” — who knew cheese could be so splendidly seductive?
A delectable fare,
sliced,
melted,
grated,
and crumbled, too.
It pairs well with
a cracker,
a noodle,
and also wine, too.
But before I indulge,
a lactase pill I shall engulf.
Oh cheese,
how I absolutely love thee.
Emma,
Indeed, cheese pairs well w/ everything. It’s a bummer to need a pill to indulge.
Ha! Loved the turn in your third stanza, Emma! XD
The stanza about the lactose pill surprised me because the 2 before it seemed like a love of cheese. It was a turn in the poem but then another quick turn happened with how I absolutely love thee.
Emma — Wine and cheese is the best! My husband also needs the lactase pill first.
Cheese, Glorious Cheese
Ah, the flavors, the smells,
All laid out as a painter’s palette
Dip in, try on the tastebuds,
Move on to the next variation.
Mild, extra sharp, flavors mixed in
Like an ice cream blizzard,
So hard to choose
Gorgonzola, Havarti with dill, Blue Cheese Crumbles.
The cracker pairing must be perfect
Not too many high notes to
overtake the cheese,
Too many of the same notes
Is a repeating refrain lacking melody.
Now a 3-cheese grilled cheese sandwich
with tomato and avocado,
You’ve hit all the colors, flavors, and notes
just perfectly.
Bon appetit!
Wow, Heidi, you are a connoisseur of cheese, as noted in the details in your poem. I love the idea of high notes and pairing. (Beyond my understanding, but it makes sense here.) That 3-cheese sandwich with all the perfect colors, flavors, and notes sounds just perfect. I might add a few baby spinach leaves too.) “Like an ice cream blizzard” is a great simile with more than one interpretation. Delicious!
Your last stanza describes a truly delectable meal – thanks for sharing!
Heidi,
You have some wonderful metaphorical language here.
“All laid out as a painter’s palette”
Love that comparison. And a grilled cheese needs at least three varieties of cheese! ?
Heidi: The mark of a great piece — I skipped my lunch, and this made soooooo hungry! Beautiful, vivid detail!
Heidi — “a 3-cheese grilled cheese sandwich/with tomato and avocado” definitely hits “all the colors, flavors, and notes/just perfectly.”
I know what I am making for lunch tomorrow!
Tamara, I had way too much fun with this! Thank you for hosting. This was a great prompt and a great way to begin my weekend on a happy note! I never knew how much cheese has influenced my life!
These lines resonated with me: “The thing about cheese
It fulfills every craving
Breakfast, lunch, dinner …
Cheddar on my eggs”
Cheese is the type of food you can have any time of the day and just about with anything. Once again, this was fun!
Choose Cheese
Sprinkled on a sizzling omelet,
spread on a bed of bread,
Topped on an unhealthy salad,
burnt melted in a bowl for dipping,
Oooed, gooed, shredded, melted, squared, triangled, cubed;
It doesn’t matter how it’s dressed, but I dig cheese.
Cheetos were my favorite growing up.
Paired with B-O-L-O-G-N-A, Miracle Whip, and cheese,
DUH!
The ultimate sandwich with crispy edges from the skillet
stained by chalky orange hands
like I’m ready to perform on the uneven bars.
I think I’d win a gold medal in a newfound category-Cheetos Alignment.
I don’t know why I have to match the breadth and girth of my Cheetos,
I wouldn’t say it’s an “OCD” thing, but a “Jessica” thing.
Ok, I’ve spent too much time on Cheetos.
Graduated from the processed cheese squares, that never melted
with that plasticky taste,
my next love is Pepper Jack.
It makes me hot;
that spicy tingle on the tip of my tongue,
paired with my Mesquite Turkey from Oscar Meyer,
a fascinating, fiery, festive combo.
And next, Velvetta.
Is that even cheese? A cheese by-product?
I don’t even wanna know about
that expensive auriferous alternative;
It doesn’t matter because I’ll eat it regardless,
but only to make “cheese” dip.
a special occasion meal in itself.
I don’t think I could write a novel
about cheese.
But nothing compares to the 21 preparations
of shrimp cooking methods spouted off by
Benjamin Buford Blue.
“That’s about it.”
Jessica, so much to love here in your cheese poem! Like this treasure:
“Oooed, gooed, shredded, melted, squared, triangled, cubed;” and the spelling of bologna. (How do you remember that? You look way too young.) The Cheetos Alignment gold medal made me crack up.
P.S. Be sure to read Boxer’s poem today. She has a shout out to Cheetos too.
Ha Denise, what is young? Tell that to the row of gray on my head. I remember I took a sabbatical from Cheetos because they just aren’t healthy. We have sandwiches on Wednesdays and let me tell you. My chips are Cheetos! And I definitely need to look for Boxer’s poem! Thank you!
Jessica,
This is such a fun, cheesy poem. I still love Cheetos! No matter how it’s shaped, I’ll take cheese. Lots of fantastic sounds and images in this line:
“Oooed, gooed, shredded, melted, squared, triangled, cubed”
Your poem feels patriotic and very American in its various cheesy descriptions. I’m still smiling and thinking cheesy thoughts!
Thank you Glenda. You can never go wrong with cheese! It goes with everything…almost! I’ve seen some strange combinations.
Jessica, I loved your title instantly! Your first stanza made me laugh out loud: the joy and play of it, the alliteration and onomatopoeia — and the punch of “I dig cheese.” The “matching Cheetos” — lol — loved it. And the word “auriferous”! Thanks for introducing me to it. This poem was — dare I say it? — auriferous.
Thank you so much Wendy. I started playing around with my words after I realized how “out there” I was about cheese, lol! And thanks to thesaurus.com for the new word. I loved it so I used it!
Jessica — I concur with Denise and Glenda this description of the many ways to consume cheese is splendid “Oooed, gooed, shredded, melted, squared, triangled, cubed”
Also loved the Benjamin Buford Blue Forrest Gump Reference.
Thank you so much Tammi! Who knew the many ways to enjoy cheese? ?
I think I was 8 when I began
to work the pans on the
avocado electric range.
Hungry #8 & 9 assured me
I can thaw a Steakumm
flip an over-easy egg
(when we had one),
boil water for Aldi’s
mac & cheese.
I don’t know why or when
we were alone, but I think
#8 dipped her finger in
the powder packet as
bubbles formed, and I think
#7 twirled in anticipation
of a belly filled, and I think
I felt all grown-up at the stove,
so I put on Mom’s apron,
humming as macaroni
softened.
I divided our meal into
three equal bowls. I ate
the noodles with the
wooden spoon using my
teeth to scrape the cheese
as I saw my brother do once.
I think I still feel 8 when I
stand at the range waiting
for bubbles
Sarah, what a memory, so beautifully shared. You gave so many details here that help us to see and be in your situation. It took me a second reading to remember the “avocado electric range” of my childhood. I went right back with you and your brother to eating the macaroni and cheese with the wooden spoon to not miss a bit of the cheese sauce.
What vivid images your poem brings to life. It certainly brings back memories of the first food I learned (and was trusted) to cook on on my own.
Sarah,
Im sure I scraped the spoon w/ my teeth, too! For me your poem recalls both my own memories of learning to cook and feeding my children during some lean years when I took a calculator to the store to ensure I did not spend more money than I budgeted. My children and I have bonded over those stories of mac ‘n cheese and fish sticks. Thank you for this culinary journey. I’m feeling a bit emotional recalling those mac ‘n cheese memories.
Sarah, love this memory and the nostalgia of it! You recollect it in such beautiful sensory detail. Beautiful poem!
Sarah — a reverie that just oozes (and bubbles) with such clarity…you in that apron, you and that wooden spoon, you being all in charge of the scene… love this. What a passel of kids you were! This is as good as a black n white snapshot in the album…I can just see you, all cheesy and scraping that cheese off the spoon. Love it. Susie
Sarah, I love the way your poem pulls me into your memories of cooking mac and cheese. The end is priceless. It is funny how some everyday things can make us still feel like a child. Beautiful and tender poem. Love the nostalgia feelings created through your word magic!
Sarah,
Love the vivid images, especially this one –” I ate/the noodles with the/wooden spoon using my teeth/ to scrape the cheese/as I saw my brother do once.” I scraped many spoons clean too. The reference to your siblings as numbers reminds me of your novel “Alone Together” which I loved by the way.
You’re waiting at home –
quiet, patient, and snug.
We roll in at the afternoon,
piling into the house with bags –
sometimes bickering,
sometimes laughing.
We shuffle about, transitioning
from school and work
into boy scout uniforms and
squeezing in chores:
laundry, dishes, taking out the trash.
You’re still waiting –
quiet
(not shushing us),
patient, and snug
(in a paper candy cup).
We roll out in the evening
scampering about with
kerchiefs, cargo shorts, handbooks,
clanking scout mugs
attached to bags with carabiners.
You’re waiting at home –
quiet, patient, and snug.
We roll back in at night
Dragging into the house
Sometimes annoyed and tired
Sometimes refreshed and relieved
But heading to bed nevertheless
All tucked in.
And there you are.
My night’s treat.
A tango mint chocolate
From Buffet’s candies shop –
rich, velvety, and cool.
Amber, loved this. My curiosity was piqued throughout, and, needless to say, I had to google the tango mint chocolates…yuuuum! Nice job building our curiosity, but driving the narrative feel of it with personal details. 🙂
Amber, I was completely pulled into the actions of your poem and kept wondering what it was that was patiently waiting. Love how you revealed your subject at the end. I know I have not had this treat, but it sounds absolutely amazing! Awesome poem!
Amber — I love the way this story unfolds. I really wanted to know what was waiting in the “paper candy cup” and reveal of a “tango mint chocolate” was perfectly mouth watering.
Thank you for a wonderful prompt today. I tried hard today, but most of my poems sounded to cheesy so I decided to go with this one. thanks
The Goudaest poem I Ever Feta’ed
I thanking ‘bout some cheesy stuff
Orange keyboard ‘cause I’m eating cheesy puffs!
Hot dog at a ballpark!
Swiss moon at dark.
Everybody says it when dey smile,
Cringe photographers have shredded files.
Cheesy lines made her heart melt,
Cheeto money when the cards are dealt!
Made a dinosaur outta macaroni,
While eating strings laid on top of bologna.
Had the big block sitting on table,
Couldn’t reach it, wasn’t able.
When someone cuts it- you better run,
Grandma’s sounded like a machine gun!
Got to place it on a trap,
Kills a lot of um’ with a whap!
If you get the touch today,
Touch someone else – give it away!
Please can I get some cheese,
Catfish bait on a stank pond breeze!
Everybody cheesing for the selfies,
Pule Donkey flavor for the wealthy.
Working all day to make dat cheese,
Taking baby doll out on a shopping spree!
Work more and more – even better
Gotta make mo’ of dat cheddar!
Me get in trouble, Man Please!
Ain’t no way I’m meeting with the Big Cheese!
Chucky ain’t scary
He serves pizza and is hairy!
Dip, block, shredded or round
Sandwich, soup, chips is where it can be found.
Cheese is so fun.
It makes me fast – so I run.
Squirrels don’t eat it though,
Chipmunks trick um’ with Peanut dough.
Just cheesing,
Ain’t true , I’m teasing!
My preacher once spoke about cheese,
Said he ate so much that he caught fleas.
Just cheesing that ain’t true,
But there was cheesecake smeared on the church’s pew.
Cheese is all around us, like invisible rainbows,
Nobody knows where it begins or where it goes.
If we strive our hardest and live life to the fullest,
We can be everything- even ricochet bullets
We have the spirit of Astronomical engineering brain surgeons!
We are superheroes -our own versions!
Dedication, determination, fortitude to us -is easy
And I’m tell you this not to be CHEESY!
Now I could type more of my expertise,
But I can’t see me keys,
dey covered in puff cheese!
– Boxer
Oh Boxer, this is hilarious. What fun you had making this “cheesy” poem today. The title is a masterpiece! I love the working to make cheese stanza. It is fun to read aloud. And the bookends of cheeto dust on your keyboard is fabulous: ” dey covered in puff cheese!” Fun!
Boxer — You listed all the cheesy tricks in the book here. You were reading my mind…I love the voice, the rhythmics in the lines, and right down to the cheesy fingers… the whole time eating cheese puffs. Those Cheetos fingers give away our swipes into the bag…you just found all the cheese! So So So fun to read this. I’d love to hear you do this poem at a microphone! It would be priceless! What wonderful wordplay and images. Thank you so much! Susie
Haha ? I ain’t afraid- thank you!
Boxer,
This is so fun! Who would have thought cheese could be so hilarious! I especially love this “Cheese is all around us, like invisible rainbows,/Nobody knows where it begins or where it goes.”
So many wonderful puns and chuckles here! What a joy to read. I am particularly found of,
This is epically hilarious and your title has me sold! These lines: “I thanking ‘bout some cheesy stuff
Orange keyboard ‘cause I’m eating cheesy puffs!” I guess thanking is the perfect verb here. I have a student who uses this occasionally. I’ll allow him when he writes poetry. Kudos on the many visualizations and many types of cheese. I talked about Cheetos and bologna in my poem as well. I guess they go well together?
Thank you ?
Tammy, your poem has my stomach growling. Yes, cheese, morning, noon and night. I did start with cheese, but I quickly get side-tracked when thinking of food.
Ode to…
Shakey’s Pizza
Ooey gooey
Stringy, cheesy…
And chop suey
Yes, and dumplings
Plumpy and filled
Spicy veggies
Bread, cheesy, grilled
Thick Greek yogurt,
olives, gyros,
so many more
(The Greeks, such pros)
Which brings me to
The Middle East
Savory rice,
Felafel feast,
Cream Kunefe
And all things sweet,
Fine baklava,
Ice cream treats
Oh, right–cheeses–
I’m reminded…
Foods tend to make me
Heavenly-minded
Denise, you’ve written a cheese symphony, an homage to my favorite food. My favorite part is the last three lines:
“I’m reminded…
Foods tend to make me
Heavenly-minded”
Im thinking about all the ways we feed our souls as well as our bodies, so i’m seeing a serious subtext to your light-hearted poem today. Blessings and good cheese to you!
I love this list of tasty delights from around the world. These poems today are really making me hungry. My favorite is the ooey, gooey.
Denise — I loved traveling around the world with you on this food journey. Your stanzas sang. Especially loved “Which brings me to/The Middle East/Savory rice/Felafel feast”
Denise, this poem is perfect!
I’m craving some kunafe now!
Denise, you took us around the world in yummy ways. I had to look up
and now I need to find this or make this – sounds absolutely scrumptious!!
blueberries are jam
blueberries are jam
little blue-black orbs of sweet
always close at hand
fresh or frozen love
(those little wild ones, yum!)
spheres of ambrosia
rolling in first thing
mornings start with fresh plump blue
round and round my foods
served fresh in a bowl
on yogurt or cereal
slow cooked with oatmeal
jelly toast and scones
muffins cakes pies turnovers
crisp crumble buckle
sprinkle on ice cream
sauce for pancakes and biscuits
toss ‘em in salad
on and on and on
just like Sal, never getting
full of blueberries
kuplink kuplank kuplunk
Maureen, I love this so much. My daughter has always had blueberries as her favorite fruit. From the first time we went blueberry picking in Michigan when she could hardly walk to the last time I saw her as she munched a snack of blueberries standing in the kitchen, your poem took me back to so many memories of her life. I love them too! And I love the shout out to Blueberries for Sal. (Of course, one of our favorite books, which reminds me, I should order it for my new grandchild.)
Maureen,
“blueberries are [my] jam.” Hope it’s okay to indulge the inspiration your poem evokes this morning, but I’ve been on a blueberry binge the past few weeks. I mix these pearly treasures in my yogurt every morning. Your musical poem has me thinking about all the ways to eat blueberries, and I recall they’re pretty good w/ brie cheese, too!
I love your connection to Blueberries for Sal. It made me smile. Also love the last line of the sound of picking blueberries.
Maureen, this was just the palate cleanse I needed ~ the perfect distraction for my pizza longing after all these gooey, gooey poems. Pizza for dinner tonight, but tomorrow fresh blueberry’s and yogurt. A lovely tribute to the blue black orbs of sweet!
Maureen — Thanks for getting me back on a healthy path. I love blueberries on everything,too. They truly are heavenly and “spheres of ambrosia” !
Blueberries are my favorite. Sadly they’re not native here, and the imported ones are PRICEY. I love your poem, especially the final line.
Hi Tammi,
Oh, how I love cheese! I’m sure if I could eliminate it from my diet I would feel a whole lot better. Oh well! I love the range of cheese options your poem shares. I went the same direction but wrote five Zappai poems to show my love of cheese.
Cheesy Choices, To Be or Not To Be
Delicious cheddar
Paired with curled macaroni
Deplorable choice
Crumbled Parmesan
Over hot pepperoni
pizza, YES PLEASE!
Pepper Jack cooked with
Beyond Burger’s plant-based meat
Guilt-free Friday treat
Cheddar Jack and eggs
With crispy TJoe’s bacon
Sunday morning bliss
Fancy cheese choices
Along with grapes and crackers
Charcuterie fun! ?
© Stacey L. Joy, 4/22/22
Stacey,
This could easily be a weekly menu! Add a salad to the mac ‘n cheese, and it goes from “deplorable” to healthy, yes? Fun poem!
Stacey,
Love your title –“Cheesy choices, To Be or Not To Be” . I was thinking it might need to be a charcuterie night too!
Absolutely! All of these and more, please! My gosh – I’m making pizza tonight, and I will be adding that parmesan topping in honor of you! Love the variety here, which speaks to the flexibility and extent of use this food is in our lives. I’m a dairy farmer’s daughter, so I give you full permission to eat all the cheese you want with no guilt. : )
Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy pleasurable food
that’s served for dinner
it could be eaten alone
or maybe as a side dish
might be seen at funerals
brought to a repast
The Southern way has paprika on top
it is definitely baked in the oven
not cooked on top of the stove
(as my students insist)
it must not have bread crumbs on top
Patti Labelle taught me via TV to
use sharp and mild cheddar,
muenster and Monterey Jack
My daughter adds smoked Gouda and a little
rosemary sometimes to that mix
but I only add that IF she’s in town.
I love the smell coming from the oven
it reminds me of aunties, church bazaars
Sunday dinners, warm embraces and love
Comforting
By Seana Hurd Wright
4/22/2022
Hey Sis! Girl, no! I crack up at the love people have for Mac and Cheese. Absolute worst! But I love what you did! And this is the perfect ending for something you savor:
Happy Friday!
Seana — Your grown-up mac and cheese sounds absolutely mouth watering and comforting.
Definitely, Seana! Love that mac and cheese! And yes – stovetop is its own variety of comfort food, but baked is a must. I loooove that crusty top. And isn’t it also a varietal by family? Each to their own flavor – and I enjoy all of them. I will NEVER turn down mac and cheese and will never complain that it’s not like such-and-such. I appreciate every bite. A friend and I once had a mac and cheese competition to see who could find the best recipe. The one he made came from the NYTimes and was pretty good, but I twisted the arm of a couple who run a BBQ food truck and got her secret ingredient: Velveeta. She said there is nothing like it. Thanks for all the wonderful memories this brought back.
Thai Food
I must admit
I’m not much of a “foodie”
not one to chase
after the perfect delight
except when I get a chance
for Thai food
which requires a friend nearby
to call the fire department
after I eat one of those green beans
that no one told me not to eat
“Just for flavor”
it was said
later
as I drank a pitcher of water
and lie on the floor gasping
Susan,
Thank you for sharing this food memory and how important it is to have “insider” knowledge. Yet, how does one get insider knowledge? From eating “one of those green beans.”
Sarah
Yes. I will be that friend for you!!!
Ha! I too have had a similar experience when dining at a new Thai restaurant.
Susan,
Sounds like an awful experience. I wouldn’t have known what that little green bean was either.
Scraping By…
My father went to medical school
In Switzerland
His first date with my mother
Was at the school cafeteria!
1950s green industrial trays
Instead of fine china
Their relationship was verboten
Different countries, religions and languages
They used to stay in
And eat raclette
Melted oozy cheese
Scraped and spread over boiled potatoes
Sprinkled with paprika
Accompanied with petite cornichons
They also scraped
Because they had to
With my brother on the way…
I love the story, and the double (lovely) meaning of scraping. (also, raclette!!)
I also worked in the cafeteria at school. Also you brought to me a fond memory of eating out with the Grandma who always took me to Newberry’s cafeteria. Especially like the image of the1950s green trays.
Jennifer — I enjoy hearing and reading stories about how people met and fell in love, especially forbidden love. I really love the direction you went with this prompt.
Hi Jennifer,
Excellent way to weave a love story around scraping and cheese and the vast differences between two people in new love.
Love it!
Tammi, thank you for hosting us today. I am glad it is Friday and my poem is playing along with my joy of this day.
—–
Cheesy all day, every day
Friday is a gouda day
Let’s curdle on Saturday
Cheese-us on Sunday, it’s holey
Monday is havarti
I’m nacho friend on Tuesday
It’s a cheddar day by Wednesday
Thursday isn’t too baladi
Be sharp, don’t age, just be
Cheesy all day, every day
Stefani,
Love all the fun puns here! Curdle is adorable and nacho friend is sassy!
Peace,
Sarah
Stefani,
I love the way each day of the week is a different cheese and especially enjoyed this pun “cheese-us on Sunday, it’s holey”
Once I got it, I laughed all the way through this one, Stefani. Thank you for the upbeat mood today! I needed this as final papers are pouring in – raining parmesan? I like the rhythm and alliteration of “It’s a cheddar day by Wednesday” – especially since I pronounce it as Wed-nes-day – the spelling mnemonic. Fun! Fun! Fun!
I like how your poem come up with something different each day but cheese related.
Stefani,
Wow, you created such a unique poem with all the cheesy fun! I am wondering if you’re the cheese connoisseur or did you have to do a little searching. It’s crafted to perfection.
What a great sense of humor:
❤️
Food I Have Known
Cheese, cheese, the musical food-
the more you eat the more you…
(Wait–wrong food reference)
Food at Grandma’s house
Lived nearby. We knew its roots,
whether caught or bought.
Fresh-shot deer hung
From a tree every year
Enroute to venison.
I averted eyes
thinking of poor Bambi’s loss…
(then it was dinner…)
Fish came from the lake
Fried in a cast iron pan
I hated the smell.
Vegetables gleamed
in rows of Ball jars on shelves
Wealth of winter flavor.
We got fresh milk from
milk cows grazing right next door
(I always smelled cow…)
Today, I live
far removed from my food,
packaged soy burgers,
(Where do soys graze?)
grace my table
as often as not. Grandma
turns in her grave.
GJSands 4-22-2022
Gayle, your words made me laugh and gave me food for thought (pun intended) yes, where does our food come from? When the kids were little I opted for ease over purity. I wish I knew better but now making more healthy choices and work hard at making my grandkids more “whole” choices. Don’t want grandma turning over on her grave too soon!
Gayle, your first stanza had me laughing out loud. I love the movement to soy and asking where they graze as you tell this story in verse. Thank you for sharing today.
Gayle,
I love the way you wove good hearted fun with the a thoughtful question for us to ponder. “where do soys graze?” — Love that question. My grandma is turning in her grave too.
I can not
adequately
explain or
describe
the joy I
experienced
when after
watching
an episode
of Bridgerton,
my wife,
an artist
among many
many other
things,
explained
that frottage
was an art
technique
involving the
brisk rubbing
of one surface
upon another,
which, of course,
is also known
as dry humping,
and, for a moment
there,
I thought
she was
talking about
cheese.
_________________________________________
Thank you, Tammi for your delicious prompt and poem today. Cheese really can “[fulfill] every craving”! And thank you for providing the space for me this morning to relive this randomly delightful conversation that I had with my wife.
…and thank you for sharing it with us! FRottage–another word to add to casual conversation. I absolutely cannot wait! You are a wealth of information, my bfriend…
Laughing, Scott. Laughing. You’ve proven yourself a wordsmith extraordinaire these last 22 days!
Oh my! Such thoughts so early in the morning make me blush – and laugh! This is wonderful. And yes thank you for the new word. Not sure when – or how – I’ll use it… – oh boy I’m going to stop writing
Scott, you are a constant stream of lessons for us. So glad the prompt worked to weave this conversation into a poem!
Haha, thank you for this Scott, I wonder, how often do you connect new words to cheese? Enjoy the rest of the season.
I absolutely enjoy the humor this brought to my day. I think the part that sets it up well is “…and, for a moment there,…” So good and on point!
Scott,
I can’t stop laughing. I imagine cheese consumption has-on occasion-preceded or followed dry bumping and frottage. I’ve seen every episode of Bridgerton.
P.S. I read this to my husband. He laughed, too. He told me my poem might get me into trouble. Thanks for paving the way! ?
I have friends telling me that they see me liking this Bridgerton series…..because I’m a fan of Virgin River…..but I don’t see the similarities at all.
Scott — I am laughing so hard I am crying! I really needed a good chuckle. Thank you for your humor.
What a great way to start the school day. Thank you Tammi for the cheese prompt.
Cheese….Oh how I love you on anything green
Cheese…I like how you spice up my spinach and make it mean
Cheese… I love you on my broccoli especially when it turns into a soup
Cheese….You even turn my kale into something Kale-tastic
Cheese…My green salad patiently wait for you to be added
Cheese… You pour into my stuffed green pepper like a volcano
Cheese.. Oh how I love you on anything green
Cheese…. You add fun to my brussel sprouts so that they will not pout
Cheese…. And you add cream to my green beans just enough for them to say hello
Cheese…. Oh how I love you on anything green
What a celebration!
Such a fun poem- my favorite line being “add to my Brussel sprouts so they will not pout” What a great way to start my morning! thank you!
Love your patient green salad!!
This is making me hungry! The imagery of the green pepper volcano is lovely. Thank you for sharing today.
“Cheese glorious cheese” (taken from Oliver…).Love your ode to cheese. FUN!
I’m enjoying the personification of some of these foods. Cheese makes it better for sure.
This line says it all — “Cheese …I like how you spice my spinach and make it mean”
Love this cheese + green poem! Such a fun twist away from cheese +carbs. 🙂
Tammi, Well. This will be a day of cravings. 6:30 a.m. and I’m already wanting smoked Mac-n-Cheese. Love how this drips from the tongue, “Grate gruyere, crumble some feta.” It’s time for Crandall to learn what ‘gruyere’ is! It only took me seconds to respond to this morning’s prompt…I imagine I might be able to do one of these every 30 minutes today if I choose. Food. Food. Food. Better yet? Cake!
Recipe
~b.r.crandall
Betty Crocker
mother clucker
yellow cake
cocoa kisser
oven heat
at 350
warm it up
bake the odyssey
get a bowl
stir with pudding
vanilla joy
appetizing
oil, milk
some butter, too.
grind your chocolate
impromptu
dusted chips
pour them in
mix and mix
for the win
bundt pan bliss
ready to go
Kentucky kiss
50-minute aficionado.
on the stove
a bag of chips
heavy cream
ganache whip
cake is done
let it cool
ah, this recipe
drool, drool, drool.
What is this magic you speak of? I am drooling at the thoughts of it
“bundt pan bliss
ready to go
Kentucky kiss ….”
Loving the short lines and interconnected rhymes … and the recipe as poem
Kevin
I am trying to lose winter weight in preparation for summer flesh exposure. And you give me THIS in the morning??? You cad!!
Betty Crocker
mother clucker
yellow cake
cocoa kisser
You have such a great opening to such a fun poem. Recipe for success!
The rhythm and rhyme to this poem keeps me begging to hear more. I think the content is especially relatable: That first stanza! Brilliant use of words.
Nope, nope, nope. I did not need to know about this cake. I did not need to know of this chocolate ganache and heavy cream and OMG I am a hopeless sweet tooth. I will be in trouble for sure if I ever get my hands on this recipe. The rhythm of the words and the syllable beats are perfect – like beaters making a cake. Nope, I need to steer clear of all cakes in favor of clothes that fit. sort of.
Brya,
Love the rhyme and rhythm of this poem and I think I gained weight just reading this stanza — “on the stove/a bag of chips/heavy cream/ganache whip” Sounds heavenly!
Oh, Tammi, both your and Garcia’s cheese poems are divine! I can’t wait to dig into this prompt later today! 🙂
Before I begin imitating a poet, let me say that this prompt, the mentor poem, and your poem sings to my soul!!!!!
Tamara, my mouth was watering with your breakfast lunch and dinner cheesy goodness. Yes please bring on more cheese. Your words brought me back to a visit to Italy where I enjoyed the most heavenly and creamy Parmesan with balsamic drizzled on top. It reminded me of other cheesy memories and encounters and I just couldn’t stop. Thank you for the haiku idea!
Cheesy Memories
Parmesan offered
with balsamic oh so fine
gold on my palate
Bleu cheese with fig jam
served on assorted wafers
sweet and salty joy
“Tap tap” comes in cans
possibly processed plastic
grandchildren’s delight
Blends of cheese melted
creating mom’s pasta treat
comfort food delight
Cottage cheese breakfast
with pineapple and berries
awakening feast
Mozzarella pearls
highlight summer’s harvest picked
best from buffalo
My favorite cheese
produces smiles on faces
photographic bliss
Whoa, Christine! Yes, cheese bliss here on so many levels. Not only do you make me want to eat, but you also make me want to travel and go discover all the cheeses out there in the wide world that aren’t quite the same in any one place. Mozzarella pearls……cottage cheese and fruit….oh, my. I think I’m in trouble today – – I see myself headed straight for the cheese aisle, and this cold be a very bad thing indeed.
I’m taking mozzarella pearls from buffalo away from your poem and putting them on my salad this afternoon with a few sliced tomatoes. Yum. I’m amazed, too, at how triggering some foods are….cottage cheese breakfast? Oof. I’m not even sure how to begin with that. I need my Raisin Bran or Cheerios!
So many delectable tidbits throughout your poem, Christine! Somehow I keep landing here right before eating and it’s making it oh, so hard not to overindulge. I love those mozzarella pearls! Your words are poetic bliss!
Christine,
Your cheese journey is absolutely mouth watering. I am especially craving “Bleu cheese with fig jam/served on assorted wafers/sweet and salty joy”
and the “possibly processed plastic” cheese reminds me of college.
Tammi, what a deliciously fun prompt! I love haiku – your verse is a such an example of why: the rhythms and images flow so perfectly.
Oh, how you’ve triggered a cheese memory for me – thank you!
For Love of Grilled Cheese
My mom and Grannie
decide they want Chinese food
I don’t like the smell
they’re frowning at me
holding my nose in Kam Ling’s
ordering grilled cheese
not on the menu
I’m confusing the waiter
Just take bread, I say,
two pieces, and put
a slice of cheese in between
and butter outside
fry it in a pan…
after a while, it appears
miraculously
(was someone dispatched
to the nearby grocery
in great vexation?)
Not long afterward
Mama has a surgery
Grannie comes to stay
Daddy is working
and doesn’t cook, anyway
I ask for grilled cheese
Grannie makes the thing
in the toaster… No, I say,
that’s not how Grandma Ruby
makes my grilled cheeses
Grannie’s face goes Mr. Hyde
like on Bugs Bunny
she shouts—the house shakes—
I’M. NOT. YOUR. GRANDMA. RUBY!
Heaven help me please
I may not get grown
if grown-ups demolish me
for love of grilled cheese
P.S. I love Chinese food now. Just sayin’.
Fran,
Such vivid scenes, snapshots across time threaded or stretched by the cheese in grilled cheese. The comfort we crave as kids in food (and adults), the request for it prepared just so is the agency of youth. And yet I feel Grannie doing her best, and her tender ego alongside Grandma Ruby. So many layers here.
Peace,
Sarah
Sarah, my Grannie WAS doing her best; her life story is one of overcoming tremendous odds. I miss her. I treasure her fiesty but loving spirit. I channel it when I absolutely need to 🙂
Fran, I love the grilled cheese memories in this piece but especially “she shouts, the house shakes!”
Your ending reminded me that grilled cheeses aren’t just for children. I had company one winter day and served an adult version with Brie, fig jam and rosemary butter! Yum! It was second only to the classic
That image of you in Kam Ling’s holding your nose and trying to explain the steps of a grilled cheese and confusing the cooks is adorable. So is the toasting-but-trying Grannie, in her own way. You found the hill you’ll die on at an early age, Fran. It’s the hill of a proper grilled cheese. And there’s no shame in that. I think I described in Kevin’s post my favorite grilled cheese at Montaluce as gruyere and honey, but it’s actually havarti and honey, I believe….I never realized the combination of honey and cheese and the magic. I kind of feel like maybe a Grannie who was experimental in the kitchen came up with the havarti-honeydrizzled grilled cheese. In any event, I’m glad you lived past that toaster variety to see today. Funny how moments return, and voices, as we recall times at the table.
Fran, It is amazing how this sandwich joy is actually catalyst for a memoir of childhood, grandmothers, and growth. I love what you did with this poem….especially demonstrating the strength and knowledge of a child who knows exactly what she wants and how it is done best. Now, I have to ask…ever tried grilled peanut butter? Just trade the cheese out for the Jiff…..and go!
I am grinning! “Grannie’s face goes Mr. Hyde/like on Bugs Bunny” Grannie was WRONG!! Never in the toaster! I love your stories, and agree that there is only one way to make grilled cheese. and your last stanza? Grilled to perfection…
You’ll never know what vindication this poem is for me. Every Ascension Thursday when I was a kid, my mother, aunts and cousins would go to a Chinese restaurant after mass.The smell of the restaurant caused me to pout and while my mother cajoled and my cousins made faces, my aunt ordered ordered me a grilled cheese sandwich which apparently this restaurant kept on hand for young sulkers like me. BTW, like you, I now love Chinese food (and your poem too)!
Fran — I just love this story! It reminds me of my own children needing to order plain noodles with butter at restaurants and sometimes grilled cheese. Your last stanza –just perfect!
Tamara, this prompt has caused my morning routine to shift! Breakfast is usually just before I’m out the door, but all this food exploration has my stomach shouting feed me now! (I think it was the bubbling provolone that did it.)
I once thought I knew cheese
the orange powder magically
morphed into a craft mac and cheese
blend of creamy goodness
consumed daily at my grandmother’s
table in a request that never
grew old
but that was before I met
Brie and it was love at first bite
before my heart shifted from the
chemical concoction of my childhood
to the utter sophistication of
aged butterfat and triple cream
and I began to play with my food
smearing it, baking it, dousing it in jams
as my heart once more
grew young
Ah, what a rich and satisfying delight of a poem, Jennifer! Mac and cheese being the great staple of childhood. I made it just this week, a country recipe…savoring doesn’t begin to describe…and I am savoring how playing with food makes your heart grow young once more.
Jennifer,
I typically write first and then read, but I am glad I am reading first today. There is a coming of “age” (wink) in your stanza pair here. And I notice that you did not capitalize craft, spelling it in its generic then elevating cheese to the proper noun of Brie and what we discover when we taste the real thing. This turn back to youth and joy is a lovely way to close.
Sarah
Jennifer, what a neat way to begin – – with the non-cheese cheese we ate and called cheese and still prefer the imitation kind to the real kind. I’m not sure which presidential daughters were the ones who moved into the White House and were served the real mac-n-cheese and told the cooks they wanted the kind in the blue box next time, but I laugh at what we grow accustomed to preferring. And brie. Oh, keep me away from the cheeses in the grocery store – – friend, I will fill my buggy with that and nothing else and come away leading the equivalent of two lifetime cows’ worth of offerings. Brie. With cranberry and rosemary. What a way to start the day thinking of all this cheese.
“I began to play with my food” I love how cheese opened your culinary eyes! Such a delightful piece.
Jennifer- I enjoyed this ride along with your palate. Brie… ooo… yeah! That line comes like an introduction to a girlfriend “Brie and it was love…” Fun! I loved the “aged butterfat and cream”… so decadent. My fave, though, is how you “began to play with my food”… perfect line. I may have to cheese-up my breakfast this morning… though not sure it’ll make me grow “young” or grow chubby. Ha! Happy Friday! Susie
I can vividly remember when this line found meaning in my life, “that was before I met
Brie and it was love at first bite.” I was 17 and I sold women’s shoes in a department store. The Lanôme ladies served French bread with brie. I was like, “What is this heavenly goodness on dough?” – Delicious.
Oh, the use of “chemical concoction” makes me think of so much of our food…and how much of it is so tempting. This idea of sophistication with cheese is also great. Thank you for sharing.
Jennifer,
“I once thought I knew cheese…”
Amen! Roasted garlic and brie is my favorite. Slather that on a baguette, and you need only a glass of wine for a perfect meal.Your poem is so delectable. I read it this morning before writing, and it helped inspire me today. I so appreciate that, too.
Jennifer,
I just love these lines:
“Brie and it was love at first bite
before my heart shifted from the
chemical concoction of my childhood
to the utter sophistication of
aged butterfat and triple cream”
Moving from kid food to grown up food is so rich and satisfy.
Tammy, thank you for hosting us today. Oh, how I love all things food. What a perfect topic. You’re right – it goes with every meal! I like how you strung haikus together like string cheese itself and gave us a breakfast of yummy words!
Mississippi Pot Roast
Mississippi Pot Roast –
Eating in at our house
slow cooked, juicy, tender
au jus, ranch, and peppers
savoring the gravy
asking God’s rich blessings
thanking Him for dinner
loving every minute
feeling warmth and comfort
hanging out with my boys
mourning for the cow killed
(should I be a vegan?)
Kim, it’s best not to think too much about where that food comes from (my fondness for Brie as shifted a bit after the rind exploration this morning). Though, I don’t think I could ever give up a good pot roast, for all the reasons you share – it’s that slow cooking of comfort food which you so perfectly describe that gets me every time.
Oh dear, Kim… I’ve thought about this more as I’ve grown older… knowing that Mister Rogers said he wouldn’t eat something “if it had a mother.” When I was a kid someone in the family would occasionally send venison and of course you cannot pass it off as a regular roast or anything else; I’d gag at the taste and sit there crying because it was a deer and I couldn’t eat it; I love deer. I didn’t cry over ham or steak or burgers…or chicken… author Rachel Naomi Remen once wrote of her mother’s end-of-life reflection on whether she’sd been “worthy of all the chickens” sacrificed to keep her alive. Food for thought, indeed.. I also have to say I’ve longed for pot roast cooked by my mother, mother-in-law, or grandmother…but yeah. That dinner table you depict, however, is the heart and soul of your poem and life itself.
Oh, Kim,
So appreciate your turns of commentary in your poems. Such a joy to read your words, and as a vegetarian, I appreciate the moment of silence for the cow.
Sarah
Kim, your post script had me laughing. Enjoy that pot roast. My mouth is watering and may need to look up a recipe with your version.
I can give it to you – – take a chuck roast and put it in the crock pot. Add a stick of butter, a packet of au jus gravy and a packet of ranch seasoning mix. Take a jar of pepperoncini peppers and put about 7 or 8 in the crock pot, along with about half the juice in the jar. Slow cook for 8 hours. I add a small bag of petite red potatoes and a bag of fingerling carrots in mine, but not everybody does with this particular roast. Easy and everyone seems to love it. 🙂
Some real comfort food right here, Kim! Mmm-mmm good! Luscious “slow cooked,,,juicy…gravy”… ooo, baby! Yum! My head says be a vegan; my heart tries not to think; my taste buds surrender and roll over to show you their pink belly… I’m in submission… pot roast wins the struggle. I’m a happy doggie. ☺️ Susie
Kim,
Eating a slow cooked meal with family evokes emotions of warmth and love and the the turn with the ending adds a bit of humor. Love it!
We probably should be Vegan, Kim, but I’m googling Mississippi Pot Roast just because….plugging in the crockpot. Dang. This prompt is lethal.
Kim–your poem prompted me to think about the foods I ate while growing up. I love, love, love pot roast. I feel guilty every time I savor that gravy. Living with a man who eats fish and veggies only makes the guilt stronger. But I overcome it at every buffet we attend…
Ha! I love this prompt…and the quote. It’s quirky and fun and makes me want to be fun and or funny. Thanks! I’m off to write…possibly with some cheese 😉
Tomato soup,
its companion,
in a mug, thick,
if you please
And at its side,
sliced in half,
the sandwich:
grilled cheese
— Kevin
A pairing perfected in mug thickness and cheese grilled. Yum!
You nailed it, Kevin…I can taste the thick, savory goodness. And my stomach is now growling.
Kevin,
Feels comforting in its pairing, this duo of stanzas. The commas and colon — just two punctuation marks also doing their thing as partners. And then the speaker and “you”. Seems like someone is preparing this meal for the speaker, and that is generosity, accepting the request for “thick” and “sliced in half.”
Lovely,
Sarah
Oh my, the rhyming pair please, cheese is every bit as good (okay, almost) as the food itself. This is my favorite, favorite, favorite pairing. The tomato soup at a place called Plum’s on the waterfront in Beaufort, SC is my all-time favorite, and (drumroll) my favorite grilled cheese is from a place called Montaluce in Dahlonega, Georgia, where they make it with gruyere, drizzled lightly with honey. You’re making me want to hop in the car and go for the duo.
Kevin, is there anything better? For some reason I recall that half sliced on the diagonal and never in the traditional rectangles of pb&j!
Kevin – Playfully simple , served up with a rhyme, cheese sandwich and tomato soup… Just right for the time. Happy Friday! Susie
Kevin,
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is my go to comfort food. I think I might need to make this pairing this weekend.
This is going to be a rough day. I’m already eating. Thank you.
Love the simplicity of tomato soup and grilled cheese, and the simplicity of this poem. Classic.
Perfect combination and now I am drooling for that mug and sandwich on a drizzly morning. Thanks!
Oh yes! That perfect pairing (and the mug must be thick!).
Kevin, you just captured my whole childhood. 🙂