Always a half
Served as he decompressed
From the day
Creamy yellow green flesh
With salt and a lemon squeeze
My sister and I
Little birds
Perched near
Begged for
A bite
With surgical precision
He'd slice a small sliver
And deliver it
Like the rarest of delicacies
To our open mouths
Butter soft and rich
Tang and salt
Combined
Divine
*******
Dawn barely bright
We sat at the speckled
Orange Formica table
Grandpa sipping coffee
Me poised for the moment
His large fingers
Pinched a sugar cube
Like a magician
He held it above steaming
Dark brew
Liquid climbed
Into pure white crystals
Turning them
Toasty brown
At the half way point
He'd pop it in my mouth
A hot crumbled crunch
Sweet so strong it
My teeth complained
But tempered with
Warm roasty coffee...
Perfection
This offered for Poetry Pantry at Poets United poetryblogroll.blogspot.com. Not sure why these memories were rolling around my head this morning while I washed the dishes. Guess just the thought of how special we felt to share in the treat--evening avocado with my dad and sugar cube dunked in coffee with my Grandpa-- Anyone else have these types of memories? :-)
Oh what delicious memories! I especially love the description of the two sisters and could almost taste the coffee soaked sugar cube! Thanks for the treat!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara! Thank you for the kind words. So glad you enjoyed this duet. :-)
DeleteSomeone in my family also shared sugar cubes dunked in coffee and your poem sent me back years back. Sadly I cannot remember who it was, just the taste as I was not sure I liked them.
ReplyDeleteHi Gabriella! How nice to share memories :-) I think it took awhile to really like the taste. Just loved sitting with him in the early morning before anyone else was up.
DeleteI love these warm memories you have shared. I think sometimes it is the simplest times that mean the most, as one looks back on one's childhood experiences. I can sense how special each of these memories were, and I feel the love!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! I completely agree. I find as I get older that the memories that mean the most are simple joys, traditions. Thank you for the compliment. I wasn't entirely happy with these poems, glad to know that the love came through :-)
DeleteOh wow, these are wonderful memories, so richly told........makes me remember meals in my childhood - Grandma always served the men's strawberry shortcake in serving bowls, and we'd all cackle.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry! What a wonderful memory to share! I love strawberry shortcake, don't think I could manage a serving bowl size ;-)
DeleteA taste of special: wild raspberry picking with my Mom . . . once you filled your bucket (for homemade pie, later) you were allowed to fill your tummy. Sigh. Special treats with grown-ups that you loved - wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy! Wow, I love raspberries, I've never had any right off the berry bush, that has to be amazing! Thank you for sharing that lovely memory :-)
DeleteThank you for the lovely childhood memories ~ I now recall gulping those sugar cubes too when I was young ~ Such a treat in those days ~
ReplyDeleteHi Grace! I was hoping someone else might have had sugar cubes, you and Gabriella :-) Thank you for sharing and your kind words
DeleteHow well you capture that special relationship we may have had with our grandparents, whose delight in us was reciprocated fully. This link to the past that we ourselves have with our own grandchildren. A small but mighty proof of love.
ReplyDeleteHi! Grandparents are very special people, and have that unique ability to see the best in us and make us feel like we are the best :-)
DeleteThank you Sara for sharing these wonderful memories of warmth and love of childhood...love this journey down memory lane...
ReplyDeleteHi Sumana! So happy you joined me in the journey :-)
DeleteWonderful! Evoked for me memories of applesauce filled sugar cookies, chicken soup with hand made noodles, and ripe apricots off the tree in the back yard. I bet you still love perfectly ripe avocados and coffee dipped sugar cubes . . . .
ReplyDeleteHi Stormcat! Oh I love tree ripe apricots :-) and yes, I do love perfectly ripe avocados with salt and a lemon squeeze, and coffee dunked sugar cubes, though you don't really see sugar cubes any more ;-) Thank you for sharing those wonderful memories
ReplyDeleteLittle things mean a lot. To have vivid memories of what transpired that involved the elders would be great and should be treasured. Lucky Sara to have been given this privilege! Great write!
ReplyDeleteHank
Hi Hank! So happy you stopped by. After I wrote this, I was thinking "I bet Hank would like this" :-) Thank you for your kind words!
DeleteWonderful experience, well captured.
ReplyDeleteZQ
Hi ZQ! Thank you very much for that compliment :-)
Deletevery cool memories... my daughter loves avocado and eats them almost every day... i love when memories have a taste...
ReplyDelete