Serenade: a sister poem

January 28, 2019

 

 

 

Serenade

 

 

In brown-skinned summers,
You and I, sun-stung
From looking for tomato bugs
Would run to the rickety ice-house
Where Grandpa would teach us
The secret of watermelons.

Dappled-skinned melons were best.
Grandpa would squint, study, pluck
Only the choicest of suspects,
Rap his gnarled knuckles hard–
Knocking.
Knocking for secrets, seeking the sweet.

Crouch-down anxious, we’d wait
As Grandpa clicked his pocketknife,
Cutting hard circle
Into innocent flesh.
His foolproof method only failed twice,
Yielding dry melons
He fails to remember.

Sunset. Drugged with heat and dust,
We bit into crimson–
Let it bleed down our arms, bugs be damned,
Spit seeds into the evening
Shooting at the gray goose that hissed,
Extra points if we plundered backside.
I loved you then.

Sometimes, over your second
Gin and tonic of the evening,
You will throw your head back, laughing
Pearly picket-fence teeth bared,
And for an instant, I see the girl
Of our watermelon summers
Knocking.

~August 1994

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Papa Guy February 3, 2019 at 11:05 pm

Not sure of your older sister’s disposition at this point, but that sounds sad, and forlorn. and missing shit. And kinda of low? sometimes like love.
you doing OK? the family struggle got you down? still not feeling well?
Tomorrow the sun will rise, the birds will sing (hopefully) and the joy of life, loving husband, two wonderful girls, who ain’t that bad, considering, Mozz Man, and any other critter your “hosting”, all love you. almost forgot Daddyo. Sorry about your mom. mine’s gone too.
Love Will Conquor All…

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Dana Talusani February 4, 2019 at 3:32 pm

Papa Guy,

You made me cry, dammit.

Reply

PaPa Guy February 6, 2019 at 10:51 pm

did not intend for that to happen, I apologize.
Was merely trying to point out what my mother said to me when I was down, was the same, and it always picked me up
There’s a movie line somewhere, maybe Jonathan Winters, maybe John Wayne, with a napkin in his hand, lightly touching the corner of the napkin to her cheek, sayin’, “Don’t Cry, Pretty Lady”.
Point being, take care of yourself, get better, write those wonderful stories again, we all love you and want more. we are voracious! Take Care and be Safe, above all.
pg

Reply

Dana Talusani February 9, 2019 at 8:12 pm

I get it. No offense taken, honest.

Reply

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