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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Food Poem of Apology

Here is my poem for this week's poetry stretch, and one for Elaine's poem of apology challenge. It is dedicated to my son, for whom this sad event occurred this week.
Uneaten Ears
The first corn
of the season
appeared in the market.

As the
hungry crowd
swooned over the ears,
stripped the husks
to reveal
pearly, white sweetness,

I thought of you
and your love
for corn.

I grabbed four,
threw them in my bag
and headed for home.

We shucked them together,
carefully pulling strands of silk,
dropping them in the water.

When they were ready
I dished up your meal,
resplendent with glistening
rows of buttered goodness.

A small sigh
escaped my lips
when you tried to take
that first bite.

You have no front teeth!

Please forgive me, for being so foolish.
But most of all, forgive my heart
for leaping with joy,
knowing that for just a while,
all that corn will be mine.

6 comments:

  1. Tricia,

    I added a link to this post at Wild Rose Reader.

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  2. Cut it off the cob, Tricia, and the taste is STILL wonderful! Surely he didn't give up that easily?

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  3. Bonnie,
    I'm reluctant to admit he's as stubborn as his mother. At the age of 7, eating corn is just as much about eating it off the cob as it is about the taste of the corn. I did offer to cut it off, but his response was, "It's just not the same, Mom!"

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  4. OH, you've brought to mind the time when I had no front teeth. My grandparents had come to visit, and we had corn on the cob. I was SO sad that mine had to be cut off of the cob!

    This is such a sweet poem, Tricia!

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  5. This poem was great, and transported me back 14 years ago when I did the same thing to my oldest daughter. The hurt look on her face broke my heart! I was smarter about it with my second daughter!

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  6. I really like this poem. I'm reminded of the Wallace Stevens poem about plums.

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