A well-placed bit of ink could make
a world of difference to Aunt Jane:
Let’s eat Aunt Jane! would surely take
Jane’s breath away, and cause her pain,
and yet Let’s eat, Aunt Jane! alludes
to pleasure that is partly Jane’s –
a shared meal, not one that includes
her baked or barbecued remains.
Some use the comma carelessly,
but following the rules is wise:
the tiny mark’s authority
establishes who eats, who dies.