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DallasDude Nov 20, 2009 02:56 PM

Whats Eating You

Here is a food related poem to ponder:

This is Just to Say
By William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Don't you hate it when you bring a beautiful sandwich to work and someone from the IT department eats it secretly before you have a chance to get to it? Or perhaps a prized cupcake you bring home and stash for a late night kitchen raid? Or even a small piece of the left over Bleu d’Auvergne or Maytag you were saving for a morning nosh.

Who ate yours, and what was it? Or better yet, did you eat my sandwich?

 
 
 
  1. l
    Leper Nov 26, 2009 10:13 AM

    The poems are terrific! You post made me recall a BBQ some year's ago when a friend's Afghan hound stole and devoured a $75.00 prime rib that had been set to "rest" before cutting. No one in the kitchen saw the dog take it. (While we were all distressed, I must say, that was one happy hound.)

    1. k
      kimmer1850 Nov 26, 2009 06:02 AM

      Something I wrote in high school for my kid brother.

      Ode to a chocolate chip cookie
      So crispy and so right.
      It was sitting on the counter
      For my tea tonight.
      I know I must forgive you,
      You are my brother, right?
      Just think of me and what I'll do
      when you close your eyes tonight!

      1. n
        Normandie Nov 25, 2009 08:25 PM

        A Haiku

        by Normandie

        Williams ate someone's
        Plums. What an imbecile, he.
        He left the choc'late?

        2 Replies
        1. re: Normandie
          bushwickgirl Nov 26, 2009 02:16 AM

          Wow, I've been in a miserable funk lately (impending holiday anxiety) and this thread, which is too funny from start to stop, cheered me up considerably. Thanks, guys!

          1. re: bushwickgirl
            m
            mountaincachers Nov 26, 2009 04:40 AM

            I saw you were up at 3:30 to make your pie...no wonder you've been stressed. Hope you enjoy the holiday.

        2. FoodFuser Nov 25, 2009 06:14 PM

          Posted on employee fridge:

          To the rascal who acted as if my food was yours:
          You're out sick today, seeking medical cures
          for the gastro distress that you've suffered.
          Last night you discovered
          when you steal food from others
          There might be some Ex-Lax inside.

          As you paid gastro-price
          and you hit the throne thrice
          Did you contemplate on your action?...
          that gave you the moans
          and the deep-boweled groans
          and no peristaltic traction?

          The lesson is clear
          to any food thieves in here:
          Pilfering is not recommended.
          The "five finger discount"
          can lead to a deep bout
          of belly all puffed and distended.

          1. kattyeyes Nov 22, 2009 03:50 PM

            From Sheba, the Doberman--to my Uncle Al (RIP, both!)

            I have knocked
            the gingerbread
            you baked
            this morning

            and which
            I know you craved
            and baked
            when you awoke

            My bad
            It landed upside-down
            Leaving none
            for either of us

            1 Reply
            1. re: kattyeyes
              t
              taos Nov 26, 2009 09:11 AM

              that's good

            2. b
              beevod Nov 22, 2009 11:25 AM

              Bad punctuation

              1. KitchenKitten Nov 22, 2009 09:35 AM

                OUR FIRST LUNCH DATE
                _______________________________

                The Bread was soft the scent divine

                Heavenly ingredients thou not mine

                I took just one bite a small one too

                After the bite, thought “what did you do”

                After a couple more bites, I needed to think

                I spy your thermos and I needed a drink

                A small little sip was all I would take

                and I spy in the bag your chocolate cake

                I do not know what came over me

                After eating your cake and your grapes by the bunch

                I found I had eaten your entire lunch

                I was in shock my behavior had been as such

                I was staring at the bag that said do not touch

                I had no other choice I knew what I had to do

                I hid the evidence quickly before running in to you

                I smiled and inquired about your day

                You seemed focused on going along your way

                I saw you rummage through the fridge and close it in disbelief

                You saw the new guy with your note and shouted thief

                I was stunned and started to panic a bit

                I watched you melt down and have a fit

                I walked over and asked you what was the matter

                You told me your tale and could not have been sadder

                I said I had an idea to put a smile on your face

                I took you to lunch at your favorite place

                1. iluvtennis Nov 22, 2009 08:03 AM

                  That reminds me of something terrible i did as a child. We stopped at a Stucky's gas station on the way home from a vacation, and i found some kind of chocolatey, marshmallow-y candy bar that i started really liking. For a while after that, I would look for it when i would go to gas stations with my mom. I guess one of my nephews (who was two years younger than me) took a liking to the candy bar as well, so he would sometimes eat the ones i had gotten for myself. I decided that had to stop, so i ate half of one of the bars and then sprinkled the end with salt and pepper so he'd have a surprise when he went in for the steal. Problem is, i forgot about the salt and pepper myself, so hours later when i went back for a bite, guess who got the salt and pepper? Taught myself a lesson about stinginess...i still feel embarrassed now for being such a stingy 8-year-old.

                  Also, at work a couple of years ago someone i didn't know was having a birthday. A cake was purchased and stored in the refrigerator until break. When the birthday celebrating group went to get the cake at break they found a big chunk missing. Some people in another department with an earlier break time actually decided to help themselves to the birthday cake. Unbelievable.

                  1. gryphonskeeper Nov 21, 2009 05:58 PM

                    O bag thee of chips... from potatoes so crisp,
                    That I laid to rest behind the pile of linens.
                    When then did you go… from the secret stow,
                    I had thought for sure you were so well hidden!

                    Ah but nay… were you where I set you to lay.
                    I searched hither and yon, but alas you were gone!
                    My stomach did growl, I knew someone was foul.
                    My husband’s shirt potato crisp remnants did don!

                    (sorry if this stinks, I have had a couple glasses of wine... :p )

                    1 Reply
                    1. re: gryphonskeeper
                      DallasDude Nov 21, 2009 09:41 PM

                      noo wwine makes it better!

                    2. Karl S Nov 21, 2009 05:03 PM

                      This is me impersonating a former co-worker of my brother, on one April Fool's Day

                      I have noticed
                      how much y'all
                      so often enjoyed
                      the jelly beans
                      in my desk drawer.

                      Why
                      then
                      did one of you
                      curse me today?

                      I thought
                      y'all might prefer
                      to save calories
                      so you can fit
                      in your bathing suits
                      next month,

                      So

                      What was wrong
                      with the
                      sugar-free jelly beans
                      you scarfed down?

                      You do know
                      not to eat
                      too
                      many, right?

                      Happy
                      April
                      Fool's
                      Day.

                      1. t
                        taos Nov 21, 2009 08:17 AM

                        I have never written a poem in my life, so excuse the bad poetry, but this inspired me to write a 21st century version as well:

                        The fresh-roasted
                        organically grown
                        fair trade
                        beans

                        were waiting for me

                        to hand grind
                        and prepare in
                        an unbleached
                        locally-sourced paper filter with
                        purified water.

                        not for you
                        to brew with
                        tap water in the old
                        Mr. Coffee you found
                        in your parents’ basement.

                        But I forgive you.
                        You must have really just
                        wanted some coffee.

                        3 Replies
                        1. re: taos
                          DallasDude Nov 21, 2009 08:34 AM

                          Well I had one juggling about in my skull I should get out as well. I enjoy the false remorse that Williams portrays in his poem, and I play on that as well:

                          THIS IS JUST TO SAY

                          I left out
                          the gallon of ice cream
                          that was taking space
                          in the freezer for many months

                          and which
                          you were probably
                          saving
                          for some absurd ice cream sundae

                          Forgive me
                          it is now warm
                          and created a puddle
                          on our new granite counter top

                          1. re: taos
                            m
                            mountaincachers Nov 21, 2009 08:45 AM

                            OK, these poems are too funny.
                            Since we are approaching Thanksgiving, I will share my worst (and most memorable) food snatching, known in my family as The Fish Market Apple Pie Incident.
                            I was spending Thanksgiving Day with my family and and visiting boyfriend. I had made an apple pie (recipe from The Fish Market). At the time, I did not have an apple peeler, so there was a fair amount of labor involved in the pie. There were just enough pieces for everyone there. Just as we were sitting down to eat dessert, my college roommate, who hadn't seen in several years, called. While on the phone with her, everyone else finished their pie. My boyfriend then took a little nibble from mine, then another bite, and eventually ate MY WHOLE PIECE OF PIE!!!!!!!!!!! I got off the phone, and thought everyone was joking when they said the pie was gone. Amazingly, the guilty boyfriend and I later married and will be celebrating our 18th anniversary in December.

                            You have eaten
                            my apple pie
                            which was
                            sitting on the table
                            waiting for me

                            From the crumbs
                            left in the pan
                            I could tell
                            it was delicious

                            I forgive you
                            but you will
                            be punished
                            by hearing about it
                            for
                            the
                            rest
                            of
                            your
                            life

                            1. re: taos
                              kattyeyes Nov 22, 2009 02:54 PM

                              LAUGHING SO HARD, you have no idea...<applause, applause>!

                            2. r
                              rorycat Nov 20, 2009 03:16 PM

                              Wonderful poem for this topic! It's one of those pieces that I forget about until it unexpectedly pops up again, and then I read it and am drawn in like it is all new.

                              Yes, I do loathe having a morsel I was coveting scarfed down by refrigerator raiders. It has been a while, but the one that comes to mind was my leftover lobster mac 'n cheese. It was sublime. I was really looking forward to the rest of it, since I could not finish it on the first try. Alas, hubby got to it first. Sigh.

                              I've Noticed That (with apologies to William Carlos Williams)

                              You have eaten
                              most unwittingly
                              the rest of my
                              lobster mac 'n cheese

                              Which, yes
                              I was absolutely
                              saving
                              for breakfast

                              You're forgiven
                              it was irresistible
                              so creamy
                              and so rich

                              1 Reply
                              1. re: rorycat
                                DallasDude Nov 21, 2009 07:55 AM

                                That, my friend, is funny as hell. The pre-WWII poem does has a timeless effort about it.

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