"Mustard" by James Corbin (Piscataquis County)
The following is a poetic reflection on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, based, in large part, on Act 4, Scene 3
She sits and waits, while on her plate sits strong, delicious mustard.
He sits and knows her hunger grows; says he, “Just eat the mustard.”
While she waits, while hungry, says, “If you think that you know best, then come and eat my mustard.”
He says, “Content thee.” She doth resent him for giving her the mustard.
He says, “You’ll live; now please forgive my giving you the mustard.
For it’s too hot, and it will rot — I must take away the mustard.”
The servant turns, and the shrew learns her husband holds her mustard.
Through hunger pangs with pointy fangs, she reaches for the mustard.
Says he, “Oh no, it’s got to go, even though it is good mustard.”
She says, “Just one seed is all I need, just one seed of mustard.”
He says, “The Lord says to have faith such, but He never said to give you that much — not a single seed of mustard.”
Says she, “I’ll take the meat.” Says he, “That’s too much for a lady to eat without a side of mustard.”
She says, “Fine, you win. Without the mustard I will sin.” Then she promptly broke the plate in two:
“Now give me my mustard, or turn black and blue.”
“First,” says he, “you must settle your debt; then finally you will get your most delicious mustard.”
“Fine,” she says, “what do I do — recite a short mustard poem for you?”
“Exactly,” said the man in charge, as he leaped off of his horse so large.
“What else are you going to do for a condiment so bright and true as strong, delicious mustard?”
So she recited, quick and bright, a poem about mustard on that night.
And what did she do when she was through —
This lengthy poem written by a shrew about how sin is false and mustard is true —
The exact same poem you’re listening to?
What did she do when she was done — content to sit right there, or run?
No. She simply ate her mustard.
JAMES CORBIN is a sixteen year old from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, who loves making people laugh. His poem “Mustard” was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and when he’s not learning something new, he’s often experimenting with language through poems and songs.