a caramel cake for you.
made just the way Granny taught me.
burn the sugar
until you’re sure it’s ruined,
stir the smoking, sputtering liquid
into sweet buttery cream, then
spoon over split layers of
golden cake.
as friends come
to sit with you
in your raw, fresh grief
and to remember,
share with them a cup
of strong hot coffee
and a taste of this,
rich and dark
and sweet.
