Tooth to Rind

A Thing of Poetry, Mastication, and Persistence

Hi everyone!

First, I want to apologize for not having new posts these past couple of weeks. Between traveling for the holidays and preparing for some other projects that are coming up this year, I didn’t have a lot of time to write for Thingly Things.

That being said, I am still working on the next part of “Sweet Meat’s” to continue the story of Greg and his inhuman pie-making employer. Look for Part 2 in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, I have a Thing of Poetry for you. Maybe because I’ve been thinking about food a lot lately, images of chewing and eating are all through this one. This Thing was sparked by thoughts of what sustains people. How, when starving, we will consume nearly anything. And the moments, sometimes rare and sometimes abundant, that make it all worth while.

If you like this Thing or any Things in the Thingly Things Archive; please subscribe, share, and encourage others to check out Thingly Things.

And hey…

Thanks for all the Things,

-M.E.

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created with prompts entered into DALL-E

Take a bite out of life, they said.
Sink your teeth in
And chew.

So I did.

Not knowing
 that so much of life
Is covered in a thick bitter rind
Like oranges
Cheeses
And whales

Even once you get through that,
There is gristle and husk
And thin too tough silver skin
That can only be gnawed
Until your gums tear

But within the sour chaw of life
Are notes of honey and mango
Crisp Sunday morning bacon
The last kiss from my first love

It's what I imagine wine must taste like
To the most obsessive sommeliers.
Those who can appreciate
Any hint of oak
Because they have choked down
Bark, acorn, leaf, root, and ash
To know the tree
In every form it might be savored.

I nibble and gnash through life.
Tooth to rind
Tongue to marrow
Tasting for the subtle flavors

Of joy.