How to Bring Cheese to Friend

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Go to the store and buy cheese
not a small piece
already wrapped in plastic
Ask for a big, beautiful wedge
the full radius of the wheel
and at least 3/4 of an inch
thick at the outer edge
This is the kind of thing
that was normal
when small, daily tasks
brought us to know each other
and so value humanity –
the many bites it took
one person to stand behind the counter
recommending Ossau-Iraty
with glowing eyes
Does asking feel like imposing?
Go through this small resistance
together, with the counter clerk,
select a semi-hard cheese
like Comte, or ask
for an alpine-style with calcification
Bring the great wedge to a friend
Take charge of placing the bounty
nicely on a cutting board
(like if you are at dinner with a group – 
be the one who begins
serving the tapas immediately)
Do not abandon the cheese
on the counter in plastic
It is your job to curate this memory
of sitting with someone
you wish you saw more often
Make straight slices
Please do not cut an arch
avoiding the rind, which you can eat
if you separate it from the paper casing
If you find that your friend
does not have a wooden cutting board
or a good knife – buy one or both
immediately, without asking
or talking about it
Have the gift delivered
or drop it by unannounced
within one week
In the meantime
enjoy each other
You can even add honey