By Owen Andersen, Matthew Etzel, Averi Halbert, Marina Halbert
Amazing wheat, bread bequeaths solitude
Blank; calling out, “out” for a second slice
Charismatic and charmed, fellows hunger
Desperate to enjoy the chewy crust
Estranged yet obsessed, taste buds guide the man
Floundering uselessly, the toasty womb
Gaping tears, hot steam rises from the loaf
Hapless, the sweet dough curses its maker
Jaded and crackling, crisped dough falters
Keen to return to warm ovens once more
Longing for more, far more than bread can be
Missing what could’ve been, stuck in what is
Noisy, the bubbles rise through the starter
O’ a cacophony of CO2
Prayer silenced by hands left hungry; Nay!
Quiet now, rolling pins deform the dough
Rising as glycolysis takes its course
Silent sourdough grows from the pale yeast
Trite and tired, the rye rests—off to sleep
Unhappily forced into a new shape
Vigorously waiting for some freedom
Wistful recalls of baking from the past
Xenial for both bread and hunger; Fie, Fie!
Yearning for bread wishing for life—denied
Zesty flavor curbs mercy, the sweet bread cried