Ode to Cheese

As a tribute to this blog, I enjoyed some of the photo props for lunch.

When I was taking an advanced writing course with Sue Reynolds and James Dewar, we were called upon to write poems as part of the curriculum. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a writer of Real Poems, so I broke out in a bit of a sweat. Then they threw in a twist. Not only were we to write a poem, but after the poem was finished we were asked to change the nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, and adjectives into nouns. That may not be the exact pattern, but you get the idea.

Okay … well … I didn’t have much choice but to give it a try, so I began pondering my dilemma. At last, I decided to do a light-hearted answer to Chesterton’s lament that few people have written poems about cheese.

For whatever it’s worth, here’s a chance for you to enjoy, or, at the very least, read the results:

CHEDDAR

“Poets have been mysteriously silent
on the subject of cheese.”
G.K. Chesterton

Glowing orange in the afternoon sun,
a wedge of cheddar reigns,

out-shining its companions:

the milk
some crackers
and wrinkled sweet gherkins.

A snack so simple,
so wonderful,
so hearty.

Why don’t I do this more often?

Lovely and loved.
Delicious and divine.

There you go, Mr. Chesterton,
a poem about
beautiful, orange,
thick chunks
of
cheddar cheese.

* * * * *

And the “translation”:

CHEDDAR

“Poets have been mysteriously silent
on the subject of cheese.”
G.K. Chesterton

Magnificent shining in the fade brighten,
an inventor of luxury lounges,

out-gleaming its mimics:

the dunk
some flatten
and sculpted damp synthesize.

A supply so simplicity,
so unfussiness,
so brighten.

Why don’t I delicious this more cheese?

Taste and morsel.
Food and heart.

There you easy, Mr. Chesterton,
a compile about
light, shining,
weight splices
of
luxury indulgence.

* * * * *

So, there you are. Put that on your cheese board and cut it!