THANKSGIVING GHOSTS
I’ll set the table. Decoration, antique turkey candle. I’m not alone.
Round dining table, empty chairs—expressway to a memory phone.
I call-up Mom. Her basted turkey juicy, crisp brown—artistic ghost,
tasty festive food array—pretty as covers of Saturday Evening Post.
Aroma, berry pie drippings sizzling on foil-lined rack, smoky incense,
brings on a blissful Pavlovian response—taste buds dancing intense.
I call-up Dad. All dolled up, giddy laughter detailed a turkey dressing,
family with friends—control giggles—saying the Thanksgiving Blessing.
This year I will go to the deli for a turkey feast with savory side dishes,
start to dine on pie first—remembering years of Thanksgiving wishes.
April Ryan is a retired Seattle bus driver turned Seattle writer/poet whose recent poem was chosen for use in the Official Seattle Poet’s poetry blog!
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
SHARING STORIES is featured on http://www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit http://www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type “sharing stories” in the search function above.
