The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Poetry Break, 2/16/08

[BlueIris]

—from Saying Grace

"The Preserving"

Summer meant peeling: peaches,
pears, July, all carved up. August
was a tomato dropped
in boiling water, my skin coming
right off. And peas, Lord,
after shelling all summer, if I never
saw those green fingers again
it would be too soon. We'd also
make wine, gather up those peach
scraps, put them in jars & let them
turn. Trick was enough air.

Eating something boiled each meal,
my hair in coils by June first, Mama
could barely reel me in from the red
clay long enough to wrap my hair
with string. So tight
I couldn't think. But that was far
easier to take care of, lasted all
summer like ashy knees.
One Thanksgiving, while saying grace
we heard what sounded like a gunshot
ran to the back porch to see
peach glass everywhere. Reckon
someone didn't give the jar enough
room to breath. Only good thing
bout them saving days was knowing
they'd be over, that by Christmas
afternoons turned to cakes: coconut
yesterday, fruitcake today, fresh
cushaw pie to start tomorrow.
On Jesus' Day we'd go house
to house tasting every family's peach
brandy. You know you could stand
only so much, a taste. Time we weaved
back, it had grown cold as war.
Huddling home, clutching each
other in our handed down hand-
me-downs, we felt we was dying
like a late fire; prayed
those homemade spirits
would warm us most way home.

—Kevin Young

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. Sounds like home

Really makes me homesick. Nice. Thanks.

[BlueIris]

2. Many of Young's poems about his family have this quality.

:-)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. I wonder if a younger generation will have the same reaction.

It can be timeless, harking back to a long gone era, but can they relate to it as a personal memory? Meh...don't mind me, I am in a reflective mood this morning. :hi:

[RetroLounge]

4. Nice...

:hi:

RL

[BlueIris]

5. Thanks, Retro.

[BlueIris]

6. Kick.

[unsavedtrash]

7. this is like a window into my childhood

sore thumbs from shelling peas and all!
Thanks.