Norns' Feast (Charcuterie and Pairings)
by Andrew Crabtree
Charcuterie On a board of tempered ash Set hawk pâté — storm-pale — with House-smoked breast of rooster, Thinly sliced; ox tongue, blackened On a bed of holly sprigs; linden- Roasted whole-heart sausage, Provenance unknown; the offals Of a winter wolf, steaming Red and gelid white. Serve With rustic giant loaf (from bones Of same, coarse-ground). Slather on Fresh marrow-butter, root-worm roe, The jelly of one eye. Now relish. Memory can't save What Forethought has devoured. Pairings mead — dark, lively body, notes of honey, blood, and eagle spit; bold finish or water from the well of Urd — sweet as rain; no aftertaste.
Andrew Crabtree lives in Winnipeg, Canada, in a small apartment where it’s always summer. When not teaching living languages or studying dead ones, he is usually found with his nose in a book. His poetry has appeared recently in The Kyoto Journal and in the collection Rumba Under Fire: The Arts of Survival From West Point to Delhi. In keeping with his name, Crabtree’s favourite fruit is the apple — the tarter, the better.
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