A Memoir Poem for Late November
Poetry is the genre I feel least comfortable attempting. Most of the poems I’ve written deserve their ignominious fate in manilla folders. I write them most often to sustain a contemplative mood or moment.
Here’s one inspired by thinking of my daughter Kate and some of her favorite things this time of year. Apologies to Jane Kenyon.
Recipe for a November Evening
Take one Winesap apple. Wash
and slice into thin crescents. Arrange
into a pleasing shape. Sprinkle
cinnamon generously over the plate.
Add a few dark chocolate Wilbur
Buds. Pull the Santa mug from the
tallest cupboard. Fill with tropical green tea.
Take the plate and the mug to the red
chair next to the fire. Soak up the
savory time the way Kathy worked
her fingers into tired muscles.
on her table this afternoon.
Feel dusk descend.
Let winter come.
Feeling nostalgia for you and for me. Beautifully put, as always, Shirley…
Thank you, dear friend. We will celebrate our 30+ years as friends soon. And we will always be connected, whatever the season, whatever the place!
I love this poem–it brings many word pictures to my mind. You might enjoy the poetry book, I Saw God Dancing, by Cheryl Denise. She is a Mennonite, raised in Canada, now living in the U.S. Very worth reading. I enjoy your writing and your blog, and look forward to getting your emails. Cheryl is married to my nephew–but I would love her poetry even if she was not “family”.
Thank you, Gerry. So glad you saw pictures. I love the title of Cheryl’s book. Thanks for bringing her and your poetry to my attention. And do come back often. I love to read your comments!
Shirley, Thank you for this lovely late November poem. It’s just right!
So happy to have you join me for tea, Sharon. Come back any time! Thanks for sending me a poem for the season. You inspired me!
Hello Shirley, I enjoyed the contrast between the contemplative activity and the complete surrender at the end. Is being in touch with the seasons a Mennonite ‘thing?’ I know I find it utterly satisfying, and I am Mennonite, but one who lives where Mennonites are a minority. Dolores
Dolores,
You ask a great question. My honest answer is that I don’t know. I do think that the seasons, both annual and life varieties, matter more to me now than they used to. But having grown up on a farm, I have been influenced by the motions of the earth and all the celestial planets more than I realized. Maybe Mennonites, who tend to have only one or two generations removed from the farm, “know” the seasons deeply. Nice thought, anyway. 🙂