Poetry – Issue 8 | February 2010
Gavage (and the Stress of Flying These Days)
by Jennifer Abbott
The truth is, geese invented it,
fattening themselves to survive months
of mealless flights. It didn’t take long
for us to suspect that stress added flavor,
at least in the liver, that most-taxed organ.
Turned out they were best
when forced with figs, just as sweet
and seeded as old shame,
perfect for the imagination—
tomorrow is always the day of migration,
but no one has to fly anywhere.
About the author
Jennifer Abbott lives in New Orleans and has an MFA in poetry from the University of Arkansas. Her poems have been published in Babel Fruit and elsewhere.
Next in Poetry: Travelling Long to Inform a Friend's Death
Previously in Poetry: Advice to a Friend
