This poem by Paul Violi appears is his collection Overnight and has been reprinted in a
number of places, including The Best
American Poetry.
Counterman
What’ll it be?
Roast beef on rye,
with tomato and mayo.
Whudduhyuh want on it?
Pepper but no salt.
You got it. Roast beef on rye
… you want lettuce on that?
No. Just tomato and
mayo.
Tomato and mayo. You got it.
…Salt and pepper?
No salt. Just a little pepper.
You got it. No salt.
You want tomato?
Yes. Tomato. No
lettuce.
No lettuce. You got
it.
…No salt, right?
Right. No salt.
You got it. – Pickle?
No, no pickle. Just
tomato and mayo.
And pepper.
Pepper.
Yes, a little
pepper.
Right. A little pepper.
No pickle.
Right. No pickle.
You got it.
Next.
Roast beef on whole
wheat, please.
With lettuce,
mayonnaise and a center slice
Of beefsteak tomato
The lettuce
splayed, if you will,
In a Beaux Arts
derivative of classical acanthus,
And the roast beef, thinly sliced, folded
In a multi-foil
arrangement
That eschews the
Bragdonian pretensions
Or any idea of
divine geometric projection
For that matter,
but simply provides
A setting for the
tomato
To form a medallion
with a dab
Of mayonnaise as a
fleuron.
And—as eclectic as
this may sound –
If the mayonnaise
can also be applied\
Along the crust in
a Vitruvian scroll
And as a festoon
below the medallion,
That would be
swell.
You mean like in the Cathedral St. Pierre in
Yes, but the swag
more like the one below the rosette
At the
in
You got it.
Next.
— Paul Violi
thought I’d end the party by leaving a big gift box on your doorstep, one of my
favorite poems by one of my favorite poets.
You want elegance, wit and a flawless ear? You got it.
— Robert Hershon