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Ode to the Potato (Free verse) by jessicazee
From this plastic dirty heavy bag:
mashed, smashed, Lyonnaised,
waffled then curly, baked
once, twice, stuffed, hash-
browned, American fried, French
and freedom too, cottaged, souffléd,
whipped lightly as it was their fault -
buried in coals, en-foiled
or bare, its slice raw
sparkling wetly a grinding
of salt -
so hopeful the morning of bacon;
a promise of egg, chive or shallot...
a brown lumpy ugliness
swells shy with eyes and skin,
budge buttered truffles what fed
my mother's rooted country peel,
my father's mess hall contribution,
my instant college box of flakes.
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