Cream of Rice
by Nelly Carbonell Nieves
Four slices of Manchego cheese every day,
No more, no less
Six cherry tomatoes in every salad,
Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar,
Without making a mess
Four dashes of parmesan
Turned into cream of rice.
Pick up the girl from school at 2:30 pm,
Go get KFC, sometimes McDonald’s.
Bring the girls home, do schoolwork,
Take them and grandma out to dinner
And have a glass of red
Soon, he’ll only be able to eat cream of rice.
Put on the black, button-up with vintage cars,
Shave before church.
Grab the insulin in the little jars.
Forget where he put his keys,
Remember he got a new car mid-search.
Why are we talking about cream of rice?
He’s worn the same white tee for three days.
There’s a hole where his body will soon be.
His pancreas has given up,
The cancer will take him back to the sea.
Before that, he’ll miss his glass of wine
Forget of the Manchego and tomatoes he dined.
The white paste will coat his fingers.
The taste of cream of rice will always linger.