The coconut cake
Everyone tells me they love
For its flavor, its moist crumb,
Its airy cloud of frosting,
Could taste sweeter

Transformations

Transformations is a weekly story-telling column. The stories are written by community members who are my students. Our stories will be about family, love, loss and good times. We hope to make you laugh and cry. Maybe we will convince you to tell your stories. — Kathrin Seitz

Kathrin Seitz teaches Method Writing in Rockport, New York City and Florida. She can be reached at kathrin@kathrinseitz.com.

Were it not so sweet already:
Canned cream of coconut
Shaved, dried and bagged flakes
Refined sugar.

But its light, milky earthiness
Breathing moist flavor particulates
As the knife cuts its first slice
Could suffuse my senses

With images and feeling
And not just taste,
With love and understanding
And not just cake.

John Maguire has written and published articles on food and work in the Midcoast for the past several years. He draws inspiration from his decades-long experiences as a line cook, pastry chef, confectioner, baker and server, as well as his time on the coast as a laborer in the seafood industry. More recently he published articles in local newspapers and dreams of becoming a better writer overall. He practices writing fiction and poetry from his new home in Rockland.