Apple Pie (3) by Angela ThomasI spend hours peeling, coring,
slicing bitter green apples,
lime keeping them from spoiling,
from going brown and limp.
Sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch,
to thicken, in a large iron pot.
I stir them until they boil
up just right, tender to
the tooth and caramel coated,
you have to scorch them a little to make
them give off their sweet juices.
I will use my tough hands to crush
a warm delicate crumb-meal like crust into
a pie plate, and then place the apples so they look
like a flower opening in bloom.
More crumb topping gets pressed on,
going into the oven to bake, and I can wait.
I will, more than likely, burn
my hand as I pull it out.
I cut the smallest sliver just to make
sure it is palatable. The rest I serve.
At the end, all I have is empty mixing
bowls, needing to be washed,
apple peels gone brown, scattered
in a mess of flour and sugar, while
an ever so slight taste of burnt
apples and caramel still hints
on my lips.
02/12/2004 Author's Note: Revision of Apple Pie (2)
Posted on 02/12/2004 Copyright © 2024 Angela Thomas
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