An Olympian effort at the Mugg & Bean

Graham Dukas


The woman at the table opposite mine

tells the waitress that she won’t tolerate paper

around her giant lemon and poppy seed muffin,

although that’s how they’re baked here.

Her companion, her husband I gather

from his weathered and acquiescent bearing,

seems less concerned about the muffin’s appearance,

but she makes the decision for both of them.

And so the muffins arrive, without paper skirts,

but generously adorned with grated cheese

and something that looks like jellied tongue

but is probably just a dollop of cheap raspberry jam.

To the sound of Kris Kristofferson and Dolly Parton

going on about islands in the stream, the two dive in

and although she spews words for the duration

and he remains as quiet as the chair he sits on,

they get the muffins, cheese and cheap jam down

in much the same time. And I get to thinking

that this could become an Olympic event for couples –

muffin speed-eating for the dull and sadly adrift.

From: McGregor Poetry Anthology 2013

Published by African Sun Press in association with the McGregor Poetry Festival

ISBN number 978-0-620-62302-5


The Poet:

Graham Dukas lives and works in Cape Town. He divides his time between business management and strategy consulting, executive coaching and as a part-time teaching assistant at UCT’s School of Architecture. He started writing at a young age but lost his way as the demands of parenting and earning a living took over as priorities. In recent years he has returned to the pen, inspired by the simple experiences of this peculiar thing called life.