Omelet
Mom cracks th egg
The yolk lands with a soft--Bump
Mom wishes
Our backyard was big enough for chickens
Wishes
She did not have to cook this Friday night
She adds cheese
Grated and ribboned
Collecting on the sides of the ancient black pan
Leaking into the eggs
Basil, mushrooms, flavor
At the kitchen table
Dad smiles at Mom
Wishes we were not having eggs and cheese
Again
Says prayer,
Says
If we were starving
Our bellies hanging behind our belts
We would be
Happy
So happy to have this
Mom rolls her eyes
They were teenagers, once
Six weeks of work
Six weeks of Saturdays
that were not my own.
A long red line
down the second-to-last day of the week
on my calendar.
A final armful of leaves
scratching long red lines down my arm
as I dump them into a scratched up red truck.
Sitting in the pickup with my dad
mandatory country music squeaking out of the radio.
The dump smells sweet with decay.
We sweep out the pickup’s bed once more
and leaves fall like a Hawaiian autumn.
Back in my yard standing
with a stocky glass of lemonade in my sticky hand.
We survey our work—
the looming lack of hedge
sunlight pouring through the gaping hole of not-there-ness.
“You know,” says dad
“I don’t think I like it.”
Six weeks of Saturdays
that were not my own.
A long red line
down the second-to-last day of the week
on my calendar.
A final armful of leaves
scratching long red lines down my arm
as I dump them into a scratched up red truck.
Sitting in the pickup with my dad
mandatory country music squeaking out of the radio.
The dump smells sweet with decay.
We sweep out the pickup’s bed once more
and leaves fall like a Hawaiian autumn.
Back in my yard standing
with a stocky glass of lemonade in my sticky hand.
We survey our work—
the looming lack of hedge
sunlight pouring through the gaping hole of not-there-ness.
“You know,” says dad
“I don’t think I like it.”
I like that your blog is now only one, almost not teenager. It's less confusing. And I really love that omelet poem.
ReplyDeleteI was just reading the winning Norton essay from the yearly creative non-fiction competition for college students and I thought...
Marissa can write SO much better than that. I didn't even like the winning essay at ALL.
Anyway, your blog is green again. :)
Oh, and I just looked at your profile info, and you're right, the fact that Jo didn't marry Laurie just completely kills me.
I know, Jo and Laurie were obviously meant to be. I can't watch/read past that failed proposal anymore. So sad.
ReplyDeleteMy blog is green again. I recently discovered that green is my favorite color, which came as something of a shock because I'd always thought it was blue.
There is a norton competition for college students? This sounds like something worth checking out. And thanks. It always makes my day when you say something nice about my writing.