cake again

we didn’t blame him
for his inability to nourish

or the absence of flavor
exposed by a plastic serving utensil

or his elation
in watching his offering
rapidly turn into waste
like so much did

and sometimes we found comfort
in the reflection we saw
in the mixture of saliva and cake
spilling from the mouths of others

who chewed
as applause

but we did resent the feast
and the baker

for serving what he did

and the microwave
for demanding something be placed
on its spinning plate

and the celebration
that seemed to last longer

than we all wanted