The White and the Yolk
The White and the Yolk
by Annmarie Lockhart
Some days I don’t like egg whites.
I can’t abide the texture, rubbery, like calamari,
but less chewy. The colorless white, not eggshell,
not cream, not snow. The flavor, mildly repellent,
not in the manner of brussels sprouts, but to
remind me with every halting bite that I don’t
like this.
I want the fat of the yolk, the cholesterol
building block of poultry life, to feed my primal
taste for the richness of my young. I crave the color
of sun and milk and heat, the crumble or slide of
the boiled middle, the flavor of blood and love
beaten fat with promise and the texture of
tomorrow.
But for today, whip the whites with sugar and top
me a pie and I will give up the yellow and settle
for meringue. And we can call it love.
-refers from the word “bits” in Nancy Posey’s poem Charlie’s Melons
Cassie Premo Steele
April 11, 2011
Love it! Great ending!
Richard Allen Taylor
April 11, 2011
Nice poem, and so true!
Debbie
April 12, 2011
This is so good!
Thank you!
Veronica Dangerfield
April 12, 2011
Wonderful imagery and a very eggy poem.
Bobbie Troy
April 12, 2011
I think I will call you Awesome Annmarie. You are everywhere in cyberspace!
Mildred Speidel
April 12, 2011
All “yoke’s” aside, I loved this poem! I agree with you on the white’s, no if’s
and are buts about it. Whip them up and put it on a pie! Best idea I have heard today! Great poem, congratulations.
Jeanette Gallagher
April 12, 2011
Love the wonder of primal taste for the color of sun — promise and texture of tomorrow. I will remember at Easter and think of the poetry in the boiled eggs and the love, the love.
Annmarie Lockhart
April 12, 2011
Thank you all for your kind words! Thank you Jessie for publishing my baby. The timing is perfect, Jeanette, I couldn’t agree more. And Bobbie, I owe you one for this. Our collaboration for Spark was part of my inspiration for this poem. I can’t say exactly how or why, just that the Muse called our work back to me and served this up as a descendent.
Sara Fryd
April 12, 2011
This is so good. Makes you want to pull out the Cuisinart at 10 pm at night and start making meringue. Love it.
Jessie A Carty
April 12, 2011
So glad that Annmarie is getting so many comments! We were thrilled to publish her poem
Jim Valvis
April 12, 2011
This is wonderful. Might be the best poem in the journal. And there are tons of good poems here. I’d write a poem that referenced it, but it would be embarrassingly inferior.
esk
April 12, 2011
Ahhh…loved the poem, but the ending was definitely the icing on the cake…well, make that meringue on pie
jJean McLeod
October 5, 2011
“But for today, whip the whites with sugar…
…And, we will call it love.”
Ah, Annmarie. I love the contrasts in your poem, but even more, the last stanza. Beautiful work, Jersey Girl!
Alice Shapiro
November 30, 2011
An elegant poem, Annmarie!