lenten journal: homemade

When I was crowdsourcing words for my Lenten practice, my friend David sent, “homemade (pimento cheese).” I’ve been thinking about them ever since.

homemade (pimento cheese)

turn the gas burner on high
and lay the peppers on the flame
till they blister and turn black;
put them in a bowl, cover it
with plastic wrap so they sweat;

grab an old box grater and all
the cheddar cheese you can find
in the fridge; press the block
against the holes and be careful
not to include any fingertips;

unwrap the peppers and rub
the burnt peel away, then
pull them open and wipe out
the seeds; cut them into thin
strips and add to the cheese;

spoon in the Duke’s mayonnaise
(accept no substitutes), some
black pepper, a couple of shots
of Tabasco sauce, and, of course,
a friendly splash of bourbon;

late tonight invite a friend over,  
pull the cheese out of the fridge,   
put on some John Prine, pull out
the bourbon again, and open a 
fresh tube of Ritz crackers; enjoy.

Peace,
Milton