Cauliflower Rice (Diabetic Friendly)

1 glass of water, cool on the lips,

but never quite enough to quench the everlasting thirst

(sip as needed, reserving half)

A pinch of salt, if you’re still allowed the flavor of this small indulgence

and your blood pressure hasn’t gone too high

Garlic, 2 to 4 cloves, chopped or sliced - a guilt-free act of wantonness

Rice? No -- Potatoes? No -- Pasta? No -- Quinoa? No, though it was a miracle food

for the western world a few years ago

Cauliflower, riced or freshly grated into the character actor of chameleon cuisine,

able to take the role of nearly anything but so much like an understudy in a marked

performance

Za’atar spice -- this is how you love yourself exotically

In a skillet over medium heat, add half the water and

stare at the small roils of steam as they unfurl,

recalling what it felt like to eat garlic bread without guilt.

Add the salt and the cauliflower and let the brassica become a bed for

unbattered General Tso’s or a taco bowl tasting vaguely of

a broccoli-infused attempt at normalcy.

Simmer for five, ten, whoever knows how long it takes

to wish, mightily, that cauliflower could become a club sandwich or fettucini alfredo

or neon orange mac and cheese.

Drain. Everything.

Add the cauliflower back to the pan, toss in the garlic and za’atar spice

and stir for another minute or two. Enjoy as much as you can,

for all adaptations and substitutions are a part of the healing process now.

First published in the November/December 2021 issue of the Florida State Poets Association's Of Poets & Poetry.