poem for LJ Idol : "Where I'm From"

[fannishliss]

Where I’m From

Twilight air was heavy, ready for a storm.

Thousands of fireflies blinked on and off

between the rasping green blades of the cornfield,

messages to anyone who might be gazing down.

Thunder rolled down the valley.

Frogs peeped along the edge of the river,

and cattle called from the lower barns

to their calves, sent over to fattening pastures.

I moved on from the little clapboard country church

and the small town schools to the slightly wider world

of a southern women’s college.  Snow drifted down

onto the quad one muffled day out of the year.

Warm rooms and laughter in the dining hall,

organ music and choir robes, poetry

and Russian tea, too much wine, sisterhood.

Now a president’s helicopter chops the air overhead.

Traffic is a way of measuring time. Over a hundred languages

are spoken in these suburbs. Neighbors congregate

in mosques and temples, cathedrals and synagogues.

We go out to holes in the wall for tortillas, injera, naan, pappadum,

bi bim bab, pitas and hummus instead of white beans.

Where I’m from, a squirrel is a gift to be skinned and sealed into a vacuum pack,

To be stewed into gravy, served with baking soda biscuits.

Where I’ve come, squirrels dash up and down every oak,

and my little lap dog tries to bark them down, reverting to her wolfish DNA.

Comments

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

I love all the imagery in this! nice!

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i love the last two lines. little dogs getting in touch with their inner wolf.

also now i want a biscuit.

[suesniffsglue.livejournal.com]

Beautiful imagery! I particularly enjoyed the second stanza. Nice work!

[kajel.livejournal.com]

Love the end! Great job.

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

This was so vivid throughout. I loved the images of your beginnings, and how that folded into the present.

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

Nice imagery! Loved the flow. Good Job!

[j0ydivided.livejournal.com]

I really, really enjoyed this. Well done! :)

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

Anything that ends with pups is alright by me! This is very well written. Hugs and peace~~~

[murielle.livejournal.com]

I love absolutely everything about this poem except the squirrel gravy. (Smile)

"...cattle called from the lower barns
to their calves, sent over to fattening pastures." I hurt for those mommas. I'd love to see the fireflies.

I love the description of the woman's college. In my day it was all about popcorn and spaghetti.

Every verse is rich and evocative. Brava!

[rayaso.livejournal.com]

This was such a good poem, with great images. Really well done!

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

It's a lovely tribute to the place and the people and, dare I say it, the cuisine!

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I like your vivid imagery.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's gorgeous. I love it. I can picture it all so clearly.