Congealed gravy drips down
its container - landing in between
my pinkie and penultimate toe.
This gravy - rendered from flour
and fat then smothered over meaty ribs -
greases my toes with every step I take.
This wasted Sunday soul food delivered
from its landfill fate as a mound of methane
will now nourish our neighborhood’s feral cats.
This viscous drop reminds me of the cow -
carcass exsanguinated, ribs carved,
meat seasoned and braised until tender.
Reminds me of this food began to rot as soon
as it was cooked. The dead cells broken down
by bacteria - molecules consumed into energy.
Reminds me of my grandpa wasting this food.
His decaying strength - mustering only enough
to mash the food with his gums, but not to swallow.
Reminds me of his stuttering walk - his body
atrophying. His cells slowing down -
functioning only enough to maintain his life.
Reminds me of the cats - their canines ripping
into these remains. Their relief for these rotting
scraps they can transform into fuel for tomorrow.
Reminds me of the meat I’ve chewed and digested
and the ones I won’t. Of when my grandpa and me will be
carved and exsanguinated into slabs - begging to be eaten.
Biography
ENG. Shelby May is a writer born and based in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Environmental Studies from Bucknell University. As a perpetual student of the craft, she’s been able to attend conferences such as Breadloaf’s Environmental Writers Conference and Kenyon’s Adult Writers Workshop. She was chosen for PEN America’s Emerging Voices Workshop in December 2024. She will be attending a residency at Vermont Studio Center in 2026. Currently, she’s employed as a teacher for elementary school children.
ESP. Shelby May es una escritora nacida y radicada en Los Ángeles, California. Se graduó en Escritura Creativa y Estudios Ambientales en la Universidad Bucknell. Como estudiante perpetua del arte, ha podido asistir a conferencias como la Conferencia de Escritores Ambientales de Breadloaf y el Taller de Escritores Adultos de Kenyon. Fue elegida para el Taller de Voces Emergentes de PEN America en diciembre de 2024. Asistirá a una residencia en el Vermont Studio Center en 2026. Actualmente trabaja como profesora de estudiantes de primaria.
