Leftover meatloaf
A bite of mashed potatoes
Three discs of soggy yellow squash.
The squash that should have been left
On the plate
At the restaurant
To congeal with the butter
And then be tossed away
With the other food waste,
A vegetable, unappetizing when fresh
Even more inedible in attempted revision.
If it doesn’t get eaten today,
Transformed
It will be a waste.
Food waste, leftovers,
The bane and the boon
Of a single person household.
A waste of precious resources
$18 plus tax & tip
On only one meal.
It could simply be a sandwich,
An inelegant but simple transformation.
Two pieces of bread,
Mayonnaise,
And a thick slice of leftover meatloaf.
It could be,
If the loaf of bread,
Weren’t growing a healthy green beard,
Turning into a kitchen gnome
Perched atop the refrigerator.
It could be a Salisbury steak,
Covered in a quick, sweet gravy,
But that would be better with mushrooms
There are none in the house
Who can keep mushrooms
Past the time it takes to make a recipe?
If I had planned better
It could have become shepherds pie
A particular favorite meal,
But again, there’s no time,
And the dishes created would teeter off balance,
In a growing stack,
Becoming musty,
In the sink
For days.
It ends up on a plate
As it is
Unsatisfactory for having
Been eaten in the same way
Two days ago at lunch
At the restaurant
With friends
And a lively discussion.
Here, it is lonely
It is bland
It is simply leftovers.
Not transformed into something new
And interesting
Not seasoned by a knowing glance,
A perked up ear,
A shared laugh,
No longer savored in the context of a larger occasion.
A meager meal
Eaten while standing at the counter
A used fork, from the sink
Rinsed off, and used again.
Hands reaching for a dish towel
Rather than pulling out a napkin.
No napkins for this meal,
Sustenance only
Shoving it in to feel full,
But not fulfilled.
Quickly consumed and forgotten.
Next time I will plan better,
Next time I will know what to make
With the leftovers from a meal,
And with the time,
With the time,
With the time,
And the transformation will be
Elegant
Simple
Delicious
Next time.
The time that’s leftover.
--Kristin C., Adult
--Kristin C., Adult