Napowrimo Day 8: Use the jargon/slang of a particular job or profession, and see how you can incorporate it into a metaphor that governs or drives your poem.

Since I do product development as a food scientist, I decided to use my job as the metaphor and incorporated nutrition lingo.

sometimes I’m asked to formulate the impossible
clients come to me and say:
“I have an idea for an everything to everyone sauce.
No allergens, no salt in a BBQ
meant for vegans and carnivores.
And next in this line of marinades
I want you to do some R&D.
An Asian dipping sauce of success.
You create it, I’ll make the dough.
The primary ingredient is soy sauce
But just make sure it’s soy and gluten free.
And organic and non-GMO.
I’ll sell it at the Dollar Tree, so make it cheap.”

I wonder if we’ve forgotten
the reason we create
In trying to become a recipe
to meet everyone’s taste and needs
have we lost focus of who we are
by trying to become who we aren’t
because we want to be loved by all?

I’ve tasted this everything to everyone sauce
The end product is flavorless
and synthetic
and reeks of inauthenticity