content warning: allusions to self-harm

Run the knife along the bone to release the
Wild-caught
Soft peaks
As thinly as possible

All new look, same
Shallow container
                    This one is a beauty
Crafted in idyllic
Reputation

On the cover
A cheat’s menu
With all the trimmings
Removed and discarded, coarsely
End up stealing the show

Cut a small slit out of
Uncertainty and isolation
Press down with the palm of your hand
Into the score marks

Many people, watching
Measure up
Less carbs than an average
          Be happy
Nutrients may not be adequate

Run a knife over the fat
Removing as much membrane
                      Be comfortable in your skin

Nest on a serving platter
Boneless
Grated
Shallow-fry

*NOTE: This is a found poem with each line, including the title, having been sourced from the December 2020 issue of Coles Magazine. Text from recipes, advertisements, and features has been appropriated and rearranged to form these stanzas. Each line denotes a separate phrase found in the magazine.