Here's What I Need

Here’s what I need tonight,
my love:
the vegetables from the road side stand
I found north of Millersburg.
The globe zucchini giant,
and the nuclear orange summer squash.
Preheat the propane grill
I bought for you
and season two blades
of succulent spring lamb.
On the outside
I hear searing
where flesh and muscle meet.
An ice – cold Blue Moon
straight from the bottle
relaxes me.
I have placed an empty skillet
on the middle of my grill,
and caramelize the Spanish onion,
and the julienne Gala apple
grown in the farmer’s yard.
I sliced the vegetables horizontally
on a 1” French bias
to ensure they meet their partners,
chopped garlic and fresh butter
with a firm dignity.
Gamey smoke
comes off the grill
as I turn the lamb around,
muscle, flesh and garlic
searing below me.
This is what I need,
my love,
the moments between God and me.
So I lift
my beer up to the sky,
to praise my creator,
Him
Who made the lamb
to whom I am thankful for giving its life
to give me dinner.
I told my cooks at the Brass Tap
“Understand the nature of life,
and respect your food as its conqueror,
you now own its life.
I slip in
to food lust.
The vegetables are done,
so I mound them on my plate
and add generous shots
of Jaeger and bbq sauce
to the now sweet and pliant onions,
the apples and their skins.
Pile the lamb like Jenga, baby
this is what I need.
Finish with the sauce,
velvet like and smooth.
Assemblage complete,
my teeth rip through the lamb,
flesh, and muscles,
and raw bone
now with the marks of teeth.
A heady, unusual taste comes out of the orange squash.
Scent,
love,
indeed.