Gravy

Monday's lunch container
transparent, calling, saucy siren,
she stands out in the office fridge
among the Tupperware
and crushed paper bags

Sloshing at the brim,
slick with equal parts pork fat and sauteed pride
my glass container with push-top lid
threatens to breach its borders

My husband's Sunday gravy
swims with Italian sausage
and homemade meatballs,
swirling in a sweetness from
a secret ingredient you'll never guess
poured in thick drippy waterfalls
across a field of farfalle

This culinary ritual,
a slow, steady, focused
weekend afternoon in the kitchen
steeped in homage and herbs
sets the stakes for the coming week

So colleagues, you can look,
go ahead, take a peek

But please know
it's all for me.