Paczki Day!

Paczki Day!


Shrove Tuesday--
last day
before fastings of Lent,
before you give up indulgences,
before you feed on prayer,
before you wash in ashes.

Fat Tuesday--
last day of celebration
that started on Epiphany.
Mardi Gras reaches its zenith --
party balloons with beaded strings.
Tomorrow, balloons pop.

Today, we feast.
Paczki Day--
Polish tradition
transported many years ago
to Hamtramck, Michigan
where it flourishes still.
Paczki is plural. Pronounced POONCH-key.
No one has just one pac zek.

Artery-clogging,
gain ten pounds by mere utterance,
let alone 'devouring.'
That is what one does with Paczkis:
dive in to devour utter indulgence.

Creation.
No mere doughnut.
Exceedingly rich, sweet yeast dough
consisting of eggs, butter and heavy cream:
a brioche doughnut, only far better.
Stuffed with custard or creme,
filled to bursting with lemon pudding or
encasing apples, berries or jellies.
Nothing nonfat
about paczkis.


Light as a feather, pillowy soft,
but beware--
too much of anything
isn't good for you.
Too many weigh
like lead transgressions
and will drop you to your knees.

Prompt for: Feb 13 (Ren/Fyn)
Subject or Theme: food - there are always special foods surrounding any sort of holiday. Pick ONE. Why is it special. Just to you or to many? Is this the only time you get to eat it or is it special because OF the holiday?
Word(s) to Include: The specific food, THE SPECIFIC HOLIDAY, where it is from - originally or now. (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): food, eat, delicious, enjoy, make, holiday, cook, bake, the (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: Include the NAME of the food in your title. Minimum of 15 lines
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.