The Earl of Sandwich

The Earl of Sandwich was the first.

We owe a debt to him.

He placed between two pieces

of thick bread a slice of meat and fed

the rest of us with what forever after

we would honor in his name throughout

two hundred fifty years of lunches

then and now and yet to come:

the sandwich – from a land which

also gave us language – which we use

sometimes against its rules: for instance

by employing “sandwich” as a verb –

such as when I say I’ll sandwich you

between my arms all day, my little lamb –

loving what we are and what we am.

We won’t need any ham.

/