Category: Flavor Town USA

Two Poems for Flavor Town USA by Anne Panning

The Butter Principle Life is like cold, hard butter. A pebble in your shoe.A stubborn child who won’t release the Snicker bar inthe checkout line. An axe to grind against the iceberg. But.How about that shy, self-deprecating toast burnt black? Theknife hacks away at like it a he-man. But. Cold butter standsup for the underdog.…
Flavor Town USA Poetry: “Cravings,” an original sonnet by Molly McGrane

Torn from the ashes we haveold women come to remind us that skinny looks good in dresses but not onfaces. Die with a naked mole rat visage or die of diabetes with a #7 double.In junior high I ate cheese until grease dripped with my tears down my chins. Retirement will hide the animalistic tendencies…
Flavor Town USA Nonfiction: “Little Bird Tongues” by Richie Zaborowske

The preparation of the ortolan bunting songbird is steeped in booze, gruesome tradition, and taboo. The tiny birds are captured alive and forced into blackout cages filled with grain. Similar to a clandestine midnight kitchen gorging, the lack of light disorients the birds and they feed until they nearly double in size. The overstuffed birds…
Flavor Town USA: Four Poems by James Miller

On the Beach Tonight we’re driving along the South Shore, looking for a party to crash. Adjunct hell, frayed Spanish grammar— but Stevie prefers his Iberian cheeses. Dairy farmers steep their rounds in caves up north, he tells me. Slots carved in stone, cabrales throbbing in the dark. Does the mold think, or dream? Tendrils…
Flavor Town USA Poetry: “I served Kirk Douglas at Swensen’s ice cream” by Laurel Benjamin

peach or butterbrickle, but never anything heavyin the year of the flood. “50 years in 50 weeks”wineries up north washed away, plateaus turnedto sand, minerals leached on the edges of the baywhere tall grass bent for ducks. I signed offon a wardrobe of black slacks & a white button down,but changed for clubbing into cargo…
Flavor Town USA Poetry: “13 Bean Chili (As Desired)” by Avery Gregurich

after Albert Goldbarth “… and the goof-off kidney and lima and chili beans like Shriners and Masons and lodge brotherseverywhere marching and cavorting … the lady in the next line over says it has turned into such abeautiful day because you can’t see the the chemtrails foronce. the day had started out slow, frozen, great…
Flavor Town USA: Three Poems by Paul Siegell

SENDER. Kirwyn, some white space: A driver delivered our meal-kits on Saturday & I read your book to my wife last night while she fixed one for dinner. The transformation from raw to redaction. Only to transform again. There’s this pendulum we ride: When she works a 7a-to-7p at the hospital, I’m on eats. A…
Flavor Town USA: Three Poems by Rachel Becker

morning sickness the world hasan atmospheric stenchthat turns yourstomach cyclonicfor the fullnine months. other mothers-to-beoffer advice,but there’s no wayto white chicken meator preggo popyourself out of bed,or to short circuityour brain’smaladaptive mishmashof wires. a glitchthat renders toxic aluminum, toilet bowl,skin cream, stove topthe stench of water. your baby at 12 weeksis a photo of a…
Poetry for Flavor Town USA: “In Foil” by Kath DeGennaro

It’s something about the way you have to hold it in your handsthe way your mother might have made you onebefore she let you become out of her reach. When I see people eating sandwiches in public I cannot look away. It’s something about how you can eat it standing upwith your neck pushed forwardprimalor…