Ode to Mozzarella
Mozzarella,
The white pearl of
Treasure
That lingers on your tastebuds.
The silky cream that
Resides
On your fork.
That smooth bite,
Like a cool breeze on a summer day.
The pairing of olive oil and cheese,
Sea salt
Sprinkled on the fibers of the
Web
That formed it.
Her warm hug that coats your tongue.
August 2010,
Prosciutto di parma,
Mozzarella on ciabatta
Freshly warmed up by
Grandpa.
The marsh, calm and
Serene.
One glide’s
Past
Memories mid bite,
Day by day slipping out of our
Brain.
Like cutting into burrata,
The inner goodness leaks out.
You forgets how mozzarella is made.
It’s not something the
Ordinary person
Could do.
The milk must be turned into curds,
And you must squeeze the whey out.
Then you can indulge,
Savor.
Take
A
Bite.
Feel the smile.
The same smile that
You gave grandpa
When he sliced the panini,
Watching the mozz pull like strings.
Taking that first bite,
The
Web
Of
Your
Past.
The rope of dairy breaks,
You look over to smile at grandpa again.
It’s 2024.
A mozzarella panini,
Homemade.
Just the way you’ve liked it Since August 2010.
Cut the bread,
Place the prosciutto,
Crack pepper and salt over it,
Add the cheese,
Drizzle olive oil,
Sizzle on the pan.
The way
He taught you
To make it.
So you
Savor it.
My poem is about how you must hold onto memories and not let them get lost in the “web”, and it’s depicted through mozzarella, with the use of imagery and personification, and is inspired by works of Elizabeth Acevedo and Pablo Neruda. Now, when looking at Acevedo’s work, she uses did the same craft as me, using food to represent memories and feelings. Emoni, the main protagonist, put some spices into her grandma’s food while she was gone, and when her grandma tasted that, tears came to her eyes. Acevedo states, “All I know is she cried into her plate that night. And so at the age of four, I learned someone could cry from a happy memory” (Acevedo 16). With this happy memory, the food was the trigger. The moment that flavor hit her grandma’s tongue, she was transported back to another time, almost like deja vu. That is what mozzarella is in my poem. With the “treasure that lingers on your tastebuds”, and the taste that fills your mouth with joy, it makes memories arise. Using imagery, I showed the memory of the paninis with grandpa, sitting outside by the marsh. The mozzarella brings a sense of home, and a sense of safety and comfort, the taste and texture bringing a familiarity to my your life. This inspiration came from Pablo Neruda. Neruda’s “Ode to the Onion” shows a simple purpose of appreciating the small things. Neruda exclaims, “I have praised everything that exists, but to me, onion, you are more beautiful than a bird…” (Neruda Lines 33-35). His use of word choice and comparison makes for a revealing story, that gives inspiration to look around you and just enjoy it. This simple admiration of the onion elevates its value, makes it superior to others, which is somewhat similar to what I’m doing, especially with the personification of “Her warm hug”, giving a superiority. I express the mozzarella as a cherishing prize, that triggers memories of love and cooking.