Sourdough Starts Suspended

The bubbles peek up at me

Part rye

Part bread flour

Yeasty

touch of sour

C o m f o r t

I breathe in

As my hands pour flour into a bright white

Bowl

Measure the off white, brown speckled

Sticky

Gooey

Gold

Jumping ahead

An itch to knead the gluten

Quick cups of water, anxious excitement

Two mins is the challenge

I ache

for sore arms

pull, fold

fold deep

fingers holes not puncturing

even it out, switch hands

until

exertion keeps me still

one more minute, my brain tsks

pull, fold

s t r e t c h falling

into an almost donut

too tired to go on

savoring this suspension

to stay right

here

heavily breathing