tough cut

it's time
to swallow what's been
chewed,
what's been torn
from itself
and eaten.
no spices will do,
no pounding with a mallet
will make it
more tender.
no extended stay
on the stove
in the oven
will change the gristle
and the bone,
the hide of this thing
i'm into.
it's a rough cut
of meat this meal.
the knife is hardly sharp
enough to cut
through.