Eggplant Parmigiana in the Time of Pandemic


Kathryn DeZur

Slices thin as forgiveness,
as gratitude, dredged
in beaten eggs and bread crumbs,
soaked in tomato juice, tomato
paste, tomatoes fresh
from the chopping board,
softened by heat, seeds
still gritty between our teeth.

We disguise our longing in layers, 
fat and salt and herbs, abandon
ourselves to fruit and fire,
white plates poised, centered
on woven placemats, flanked
by forks and knives.

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Kathryn DeZur

Kathryn DeZur is a poet and Professor of English at the State University of New York at Delhi. Her poetry can be found in her chapbook Blue Ghosts (Finishing Line Press, 2019) as well as in various journals, including FEED Literary Magazine, The Fourth River, Blueline, and Mother Verse. She lives in the northern Catskills with her husband and daughter.

 

Sofie Justice