Looking for a part time line cook.
Must be good with eggs.
—Facebook posting from The Paisley Cafe

•••

I am excellent with eggs—
the collecting, the scrambling,
the neat put-away in the fridge,

the coloring for Easter,
not to mention the hiding
as well as the seeking,

but I imagine you’d want
someone who can land one
perfect sunny side up

as well as a cook who
can poach or fry a just-
right over easy, too,

and if that egg-tastic chef
also does that nifty one-handed
trick with the crack and drop

right into the pan, well,
a little showmanship
doesn’t hurt either, right?

So I’m afraid I’m probably
not your egg lady (all mine
having expired some time

ago), but I’m happy to
show up as an eager
customer, ready to order

and to applaud the one
who has a way with eggs
that has eaters like me

coming back for more.

•••

(For Lena and Jason, new owners of The Paisley Cafe, Orangevale, California)