Getting Cheddared

Some very fine cheese is made by squeezing
Constituent components so hard
That the curds mash together, easing
The way to bandage them up, discard
Residual whey – feed it to the pigs!–
Age it and voilà: an excellent cheese.
But not all cheese is made that way. Cheese gigs
Come with all sorts of different ways to tease
Out milk’s poetry. Cheddaring is just
One approach to making cheese. But maybe
One day you are done with being smashed. Trust
Your gut as much as you trust rennet to be
A catalyst to new life that’s better
Than another round of getting cheddared.
-Allegra Jordan, 2019.