The Crust of the Matter

You are not alone crust!

I am the lonely outer slice of the loaf.

The ugly duckling in the basket.

Unceremoniously cut off and

Crudely run through with the unforgiving knife.

Treated like the unwanted step-child.

Pray tell me, what sins am I paying for,

That I never get to play with butter,

That I am cast aside for the dog

or strewn to cajole the fishes,

That I lay forgotten in the trash,

Swapping stories of ungrateful parents

With the orange skins and banana peels.

I am the hard shield protecting the softness,

I am the solid cover for your melting bread bowls,

I am the crispy fragrance inside the welcoming bakery.

… yet, I am needed but never wanted!

A discrimination beyond me,

When I am made of the same substance as every other slice.

Is this how it works in your world too?

Discriminating based on the outside

Even while sharing the same core inside?

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Grace is hosting a lovely gathering of bread talks and poetry at dVerse. I feel really bad for the outer crust of sliced bread which is almost always ignored, so I decided to show my solidarity through this poem.