The Cheese Stands Alone
“Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.” ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton
They themselves speak of meadows, cool winds,
Jerseys, Guernseys, Swiss, shorthorns, reds,
chewing cuds and grasses, or bleating goats,
Nigerian dwarfs, Boers, Alpines.
They themselves speak of places:
County Cork, Parma, Mykonos,
Oaxaca, Gouda, Leicester,
Roquefort, Sheboygan, Philly.
Blame the silence on a mouthful
of cheddar, the melt on pies
tomato or otherwise, tuna surprise,
a muttering of mozzarella.
Blame the silence on war,
suffering, injustice.
Things that need our verses,
voices in the wilderness.
I want to break the silence
as after a blessing at table,
passing and sharing plates, stories,
eyes meeting over cheese and fruit.
I want to hand a hunk of cheese, a slice of bread
to a hungry refugee, a freedom lover
who simply wants to be home,
making hrudka, kettle singing.
This poem is from the book In the Tilling by Donna Isaac (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/in-the-tilling-by-donna-isaac/
In the Tilling revels in the bounties of earth and sea, the culinary arts, past and present living. Isaac transports her readers into realms of childhood, landscapes north and south, reflecting on family, food, and modern challenges. Remembering, musing, and, at times, amusing, the writer has crafted a contemplative collection rich with imagery and lyricism.
After earning English degrees from James Madison University, Virginia, and the University of Minnesota, Donna Isaac received her MFA from Hamline University in 2007 where she was awarded Best Poetry Thesis for her capstone, Sustenance. She taught English and writing in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, retiring from full-time work after 40 years. She continues to work with community poetry through the League of MN Poets. Published work includes chapbooks: Tommy (Red Dragonfly Press); Holy Comforter (Red Bird Chapbooks); and Persistence of Vision (Finishing Line Press) and a poetry book, Footfalls (Pocahontas Press). Her writing appears in various journals including the Penn Review, The Saint Paul Almanac, and others. <donnaisaacpoet.com>
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