Kitchen Massacre

She guillotines tender young okra,
chops onions and cooks them until they wilt,
heats tomatoes, the better to skin them.

She plunges ears of corn into boiling water,
cores a head of pale green cabbage,
all for a simple summer dinner.

She's a vegetarian, the ethical
non-violent kind.


At the Supermarket

I need to pick up
bread
relish
milk of human kindness.

I'm almost out of
patience
moral fiber
old-fashioned gumption.

I'll buy two-for-one
duck soup
just desserts
canned laughter.

Copyright ©2007 by Pat Tompkins