meringue, a poem

when making the first pie i ever made in my life,

i marveled at my apparent gift

from god to separate yolk and mucus-- the sac

slipped right off, lonely membranes dangling.

what were they reaching for?

the lemon curd was gloppy and elastic--

too yellow, it was too yellow

and i accidentally put double the vanilla extract

but it smelled so fresh and young, unlike

apple pie, which died in 1950, and pumpkin

which grandma served hot on the mayflower.

pharaohs used mincemeat as pyramid mortar

and pecan emerged in the devonian period

but eve still would have been as curious

if it were a lemon tree instead.