We meat again; + Moo-ikus

If you have seen my post yesterday, you’ll have read about my recent designation as “meat poet” for Norfolk Pendulum, a grocer and locally sourced, organic meat shop that just opened Sunday to service Norfolk and the entire Hampton Roads area.

The “meat poems” I wrote for them were so much fun, I thought I’d strike while the griddle, er, iron, was still hot.

So this afternoon, waiting to pick up my youngest daughter from school, I penned some 3-line poems on a napkin I found in the glove compartment of my car. They are in the manner of the haiku, but with a 3-5-3 syllable-to-line variation over the haiku’s 5-7-5; and still mostly/generally on the subject of meat, therefore I thought it fitting that they be thought of as Moo-ikus.

Moo-ikus

1

glass of milk,
pat of sweet butter—
dreams, medium rare.

2

who eats sweet
clover all day long?
come back home.

3

divided,
all parts are named for
utility.

4

don’t call me
heifer, or brindled
cow: that’s low.

5

but muscle
and fat are a pairing:
a fleshing out.

6

no wieners
here; only the streaky
rashers we love.

7

don’t bust your
chops: trim your filet
with flowers.

8

remember
flank’s skirted issues?
just revise.

9

crown of rib
or steak a la pobre?
look at me.

10

when in doubt,
tie the roast with twine;
then baste it.

3 Replies to “We meat again; + Moo-ikus”

  1. I particularly like #2.

    When I was growing up in Newport News, my mom hauled us around to the butcher, among other places. I don’t think Newport News has had an independent butcher for many years. Now there’s one, I learn here, and with an official poet, across the water.

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