My grandmother cooked pancakes
on a large round griddle
with a spatula that had come through
many meals before
so many hours I spent at her side
begging to flip the pancakes
a large brown ceramic bowl
cold to the touch
stiff peaks of beaten egg whites
folded in carefully
Grandma’s secret weapon
against boring breakfasts
a glimpse into days gone by
only the womenfolk cooked breakfast
only the menfolk got away with
not cooking or cleaning up
these were the years before this budding feminist
shouted it’s not fair to whoever would hear