Turkey dinner.

by Poet on the Piano   Jul 21, 2019


After mass, I snapped ends off
of green beans. She peeled
potatoes and checked the temp
on the turkey, gravy ready on the
stove. I ran downstairs to grab
a can of cranberries and
we ate as sunset taunted us.

Heat gathered in my thighs,
armpits, brows, everywhere
but for once, I didn't mind.

It seemed like a tiny victory
when my fork kept returning
to the plate, scraping
digging
and I almost moaned at how
heavenly it tasted.

Somehow, I was overwhelmed
with grace at being alive
for this,
this tiny bite of life.

And these brief moments
of fulfillment give me hope
when lethal thoughts ebb and
flow; I won't always be
persuaded by

you.

3


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Latest Comments

  • 4 years ago

    by Adastra

    the strangely high number of poets finding your description of eating gravy, potatoes, and turkeys sensual aside, which after a quick reread, i can hardly fault them for, i enjoyed how you can put so much story behind what seems to be a simple turkey dinner.

    life can be a pain to slog through, so it's like a little aha! moment when i read through a poem and understand the story that it's trying to tell. there are people who will try to bring you down and make your life a living hell, but just going on with things and eating your dang turkey is being strong, in a way, and you appreciate the small things that much more!

    hope you enjoyed your meal

    • 4 years ago

      by Poet on the Piano

      Thank you so much! Yes, indeed life can be a pain but we must keep going. Sometimes those simple moments are the biggest realizations, that life can be good, in the little things even.

  • 4 years ago

    by D.

    Honestly, MA, I’m with Ben haha. On my first reading, I found a lot of this to be strangely sensual due to some of your word choice. Not that I find gravy and potatoes erotic. Each to their own. No judgment here!

    Reading the second time…not so much sensual. The poem itself is lovely! It paints a very ‘human’ picture, and I like how your poetry often tells a story within a story. It breathes familiarity. I imagine the humidity – I for one hate eating roast dinners in the sun. I’m not sure about other English people, but I find the tradition of eating turkey and potatoes with gravy when it’s really hot completely insane. I digress.

    The main feeling here is comfort. I felt the use of ‘grace’ was clever, even if it was unintentional, and ‘bite’ of life was also nice. Forgive the cliché, but to me, it’s a poem about the smaller pleasures in life. When you return from holiday to your own bed, when you taste your mum’s cooking after being away for a while, this kind of thing. I found the darker sections of the poem really effectively contrasted with the innocence – the tiny victory of being able to eat again? The dark thoughts the persona acknowledges being pushed aside, but still remaining was a great way to end it. I wasn’t sure about ‘lethal’ thoughts, but it paints a strong enough image to not be too much of an issue.

    I really enjoyed reading this!

    • 4 years ago

      by Poet on the Piano

      Daniel, lol, I wondered who else would find certain parts of it sensual after Ben noted that! Now part of me (just a small part) wants to incorporate these foods into something actually sensual and I mean... you can do a lot with gravy ;) Just kidding!

      I did hesitate posting because lately I've had a lot of "in the moment" poems that are little snippets. I have a few saved now I'm working on editing. Loved reading your thoughts. Yes, the heat mirrored the heat from the oven, the intense heat we've had the past few days and the suffocating feeling in my heart. Also, the discomfort of eating with family... letting myself eat a big portion, not be self-conscious, and allow myself to indulge in this. To actually enjoy eating and not just eating to "survive". I wasn't sure about the "lethal thoughts" too but I wanted it to be kind of blunt like that, when I can enjoy things outside of my depression and self-destructive thought that can come and go. These moments mean a lot then when I have a clear mind or a good few days.

      Thanks so much, as always!

  • 4 years ago

    by Ben Pickard

    This is inspirational indeed, but I must apologize for finding parts of this almost erotic. Something about the gravy, heat, cranberries and moaning. A marvellous concoction :)

    No, in all seriousness (because I really am not a perverted poet) I love this.

    Take care, MA

    • 4 years ago

      by Poet on the Piano

      Ben, I laughed WAY too hard at this! I never would have thought parts of this would be interpreted like that, although I do get the choice of "moaning ", but that was supposed to be an innocent reaction, perhaps I should have chosen another word haha.

      Thanks for reading... and for the laugh :)

  • 4 years ago

    by Tanya Southey

    I LOVE this!

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