Friends, this poem won 3rd place in the poetry contest at this weekend’s All Write Now! conference. Enjoy!
Chicka-chicka-chicka
the pressure cooker prattles
on the avocado stove
while I help Grandma
set the table for ten.
All is green:
speckled linoleum
vinyl tablecloth
tiny flowers rimming plates.
I stack Roman Meal
and sneak a lick of Country Crock before she sees.
Grandma rolls thick dumplings
for the simmering chicken
and cuts them with a butter knife
before dropping them into golden broth.
I love their rich pillow softness
with sharp pepper and salt.
I look out on the garden:
corn reaching tall
tomatoes vining wild
cantaloupe spreading wide.
Our sweet and savory sides.
Grandma turns sheet cake
into Mississippi Mud
with chocolate icing and pecans.
I steal just one nut
and fix the ragged hole with my pinkie.
I turn round and round on the bar chair
kicking my legs
waiting for the family
Sunday dinner to begin.