~ Delta Poetry Review ~

A. Michael Schultz

“Cookie”

On a sheet pan, chips and flour

form a friendship

they expect to last a lifetime

but the kitchen knows

short-lived

I once rose here, too

had a scent and flavor

that filled the other rooms

with excitement

felt at home across the seasons

and God, was I good in Winter

at my best when the world needed something warm

when dead trees forgot they’d resurrect someday

and the ice made asphalt tremble

Then I lost my best ingredients

became harder to digest

and all my parts forgot they’re good together

sitting by themselves

on cold metal shelves

waiting to feel useful again

A. Michael Schultz is a writer and educator living in Northern Appalachia. His recent poetry appears or is forthcoming in Appalachian Journal, Willawaw Journal, The Collidescope, Poor Yorick, and elsewhere. He is Assistant Professor of English at Belmont College.