I wait for you, gratin,
Wait for the flesh to yield
To finger, wait for the crust
To brown and the edges
Curl like dry earth
In the fist of a long drought.
Such a teasing of starch and stock,
Of fat, millered grain and heat,
That if the whole earth plumed
These vapors, if the whole earth
Spewed these scents volcanic,
If the whole earth churned
With clouds of this…?
The rain never came in torrent.
And never a foul anger foamed.
Never a mind blown in torment.
And never the wanderer roamed.
Image: Hai Nguyen on Unsplash
Sweet and Bitter Greens 
I’ve had good casseroles before, but I’ve never had them on a regular basis. I loved growing up Vietnamese but I also wished we had more casserole growing up.
Delicious stuff if done well. Thanks for the read. D