Jeremy Paden

June 3, 2020

for breakfast I cooked & ate

some Mother / mixed her in

with mashed bananas & eggs

/ with flour / vanilla & spice /

mixed her in so the bread would rise

full & strong / tonight’s biscuits

were leavened with Mother / & monday’s

waffles / saturday’s cinnamon

sweet rolls / the pretzels from sunday /

on thursday evening I squared

the butter / then wrapped it in a hug

of Mother leavened dough / I rolled

& folded / dough & fat / through the night

for friday croissants / my Children

love these breads / the pizza dough /

the crackers / the boules & baguettes /

now leavened only with Mother /

muffins & popovers / crumpets

& chocolate cake / I keep

a frothing / soured mess / tend it /

watch it / feed it as it bubbles

& foams / as it pulls the sour

out from wheat & water /

& turns this sour into Mother /

which I feed my Children /

I don’t know what else do to do

but this Mothering / so I care

after the sour of the world /

I raise my children on it / in hopes

that it will make them hale & tender