"Cooking With Cats"

Kate Aver Avraham

Kate Aver Avraham is a poet, children’s author, and art enthusiast. Her first book, Joey’s Way, was published by MacMillan in 1992. Her picture book, What Will You Be, Sara Mee? is upcoming in 2009 by Charlesbridge Publishing. Kate’s poetry has appeared in many journals and anthologies, including Calyx Journal of Art and Literature by Women, Nimrod International Journal, The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review and Monterey Poetry Review. Kate is a native Santa Cruzan who remembers when the Woolworth’s soda fountain was the hottest thing happening on Pacific Avenue!

If you slice an apple

lengthwise, you’ll find cleavage
at the stem and crevices
where the dark seeds imbed.
This will be true whether the apple
is red, gold or dappled.

You may also find a bruise
if the fruit was handled roughly
or perhaps a worm, eating avenues
into the core. Consider leaving the worm
alone, since he was there first.

Now, and you might remember this
from childhood, if you slice an apple
crosswise through its equator, you’ll find
a five-pointed star, dropped there
from some other solar system—
every apple has one trapped inside.

Hold it in your hand, and
if you think of Eden remember
we have Eve to thank
for knowing evil would exist
no matter what, and for giving in
so we can all taste the sweetness.