Bloomfield Diner

Joe’s carving his egg in Bloomfield diner,
cutting away the circle around the yolk
of one egg.

One egg’s likely all this place had
to offer, a beat-up old house on the edge
of town which used to be just an old house
and now’s a beat-up short-order spot—
coffee, egg, bacon on the side
before work.

So I say to Joe,
What’s the deal with you trimming the egg circle,
eating away the rim?

Joe says,
Well, the yolk’s the moon.
If I spoon off the white ring,
put the moon on my toast,
I eat it whole.
 

ξ

Mike Lewis-Beck writes and works in Iowa City, IA. He has pieces in Alexandria Quarterly, Apalachee Review, Big Windows Review, Cortland Review, Chariton Review, Pilgrimage, The Iowa Review, Rootstalk, Seminary Ridge Review, Taos Journal of International Poetry and Art, Writers’ Café, and Wapsipinicon Almanac, among other venues. His short story, “Delivery in Göteborg,” received a finalist prize from Chariton Review in 2015. His essay, “My Cherry Orchard in Iowa,” received recognition as one of the “notable essays” in Best American Essays 2011. His poetry book manuscript, Wry Encounters, was a finalist for the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award in 2016.