On a winding path of friendly kegs,
I consumed warm beer and picnic dregs.
Next to me, a little buzzer flied.
I asked, would he help me decide -
potato salad or deviled eggs?
Reading a poem about a horse
with a stain
on the author’s page. Patron
ate something saucy,
as he read of a war statue,
forking or spooning
probably pasta or slurping
poetry, precariously, I ponder,
as I wait for the oven timer
to deliver dinner. Deviled
ham quiche - the aesthetic
embodiment of
eggs & cream, cheddar,
onions & cayenne
firmly held in its shell.
I’ll eat in the early afternoon
and get a lift
to see Cheap Trick &
Rod Stewart. Not the cheap
seats, but the special ones
saved for the limo driver’s guests;
he will be chatting it up
behind the stage or
just standing by.
I can’t get past a couple
pages, having stopped
at the blot. A library lie
that these hard-covered words
are all mine, well his;
a-muse-d at a blank page,
how I’ve filled its plate,
and how
I will separate
my pie from my eye.
Thanksgiving Day is the word
Someone giving me the bird
Cranberries and pumpkin pie
Mashed potatoes catch my eye
Casseroles and deviled eggs
Buttered corn and turkey legs
Salads, rolls, and cobblers deep
After dinner fast asleep
A couple hours, hear me snore
Wide awake, I want some more
Chowing down, I just can't stop
Now I think I'm gonna pop
Can you smell the turkey cooking?
Can you smell the pumpkin pie?
Can you see the children lurking,
With a glimmer in their eye?
See the table filled with family,
See the table filled with yams.
See my Father as he's burping,
From his second slice of ham.
From my Grandma's chocolate pudding,
To my Mother's deviled eggs.
See my Grandpa's belly swelling,
Packed with one more turkey leg.
After all are fully stuffed,
As we all begin to slouch.
Asked who wants a piece of pie,
As we pass out on the couch.
Two turkeys in the oven and candy yams
Whipped mash potatoes, cranberry sauce from a can
A green bean casserole and a relish plate as planned
Corn bread dressing and sage dressing for the big man
Lots of butter and dinner rolls with jellies and jams
Deviled eggs a dish of mac and cheese with bits of bacon
Giblet gravy and sweet cream corn we understand
Pumpkin pie and cherry and don't forget the pecan
And for goodness sake must serve the honey spiral ham
Have Sprite and sweet tea liquor won't be banned
A big green toss salad and don't forget the Thousand Island
And if you get a chance a bucket of original KFC fried chicken
Some fresh fruit and veggies will make the table look grand
Some light soups and breads and cheeses we can do again
Or we can all head to Golden Corral, load up the big van.
he’s a raver, deep from marrow, born
who screams at moons to curse the morn
and though his flesh is bloodless, torn
he woos the beast inside him
for night alone won’t hide him
he creeps the nettles, scratched and red
to find the temptress for his bed
but with the madness in his head
those angels - dark and ruddy
find all their wings, now bloody
oh, once this manic’s dreams were pure
of maidens, graced with grace, demure
their loins, quite worth a birthing’s cure
but he drowned all such humors
his passions, turned to tumors
those virtues, pure, were sacrificed
for panicked potions - poisoned, iced
no hellion’s draught had e’er sufficed
to scald his veins through rapture
death’s tonic, claimed for capture
but there beneath a gold doubloon
the grip of dripping deviled moon
that man left all his senses strewn -
hopes hanging on a door-hinge
with high-priced bitter orange
there are no versions of the truth
no happy end, this saddened sleuth
what waste, the years of wondrous youth
those scores of bugles, blaring
changed to a dirge, despairing
bright eyes, a-dead and staring …
bright eyes … now dead.
( Painting by Achille Chiarello )
[ to the tune of We’re off to see the Wizard
from the musical Wizard of Oz ]
If you’ve not had fried gizzard,
you’ve never had southern at all.
The same is true of chicken-fried steak
or vinegar-based cole slaw.
If you’ve never tried hot zucchini bread,
banana pudding, pimento spread,
okra, chow chow, turnip greens or cheese straws,
moon pie, sweet tea, shrimp and grits, deviled eggs.
(dum-dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum)
If you’ve not had fried gizzard,
you’ve never had southern at all.
Husband dines on deviled eggs
That comes from wicked chickens
Potato salad and legs
Somehow this great plot swiftly thickens
I was the only pallbearer at God's funeral
I dragged the casket the last 25 yards
They served Deviled Eggs and Devil's Food Cake.
The Christians brought
Mogen David wine
The other deity guests present
argued who should bare the blame
For allowing Nietzsche and Darwin
To spread blasphemous theories
Causing worshippers to question their faith
Jesus couldn't have cared less
Considered to be a prodigal son
he was busy cheating Catholics at Bingo
Acting like a false prophet
The Jews believed he was.
Shiva was eating his TBone steak.
Sitting alone at a table
The Entertainment was provided by The Church of Scientology
With the thetans rendition of
The Space Opera.
JSB
Orion is key lime
Blue Moon Lotus
Deviled eggs angel food cakes
Old Mountain Towns antique brass
Color of my eyes light green
The color are my lips blue
My stomach digestive is purple
Key lime for the Moon
Edible mammal and the grain food
Colorful physically views digested
4/26/20
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2020
The in the momanon
Scratching at reality
as it bites
the head from time
Struggling yawns at insipid dawns
relevance bends and breaks
Front to ???q
uck says the f
defend the loose errs
Keep has been kept
Defy imagine nations
Diction orders the nary
Words twist into swords
lest we test the letters or just be settlers
Take my open hand
no hope and nowhere to land
control and condone the remotest controlled
Rolled and rocked
To a beat that doesn't follow
too morrow worms and tow two moor
Thin king or is it just an ink thing
any one an inkling
Can't follow then don't
Pb is led
All that glitters is not Au
Looking for Ag in the lining
Dread dead add ad a
Live lived veiled deviled and reviled
Knew knew new
Sympathy grows closer with an e
all of us junkies
made from drugs
electron bursts
in dreams of unknown hues
as i walk in deaths corroding shoes
I wasn't there again today
wonder what the man on the stair had to say
Scratching at reality
as it bites
the head from time
Struggling yawns at insipid dawns
relevance bends and breaks
Front to ???q
uck says the f
defend the loose errs
Keep has been kept
Defy imagine nations
Diction orders the nary
Words twist into swords
lest we test the letters or just be settlers
Take my open hand
no hope and nowhere to land
control and condone the remotest controlled
Rolled and rocked
To a beat that doesn't follow
too morrow worms and tow two moor
Thin king or is it just an ink thing
any one an inkling
Can't follow then don't
Pb is led
All that glitters is not Au
Looking for Ag in the lining
Dread dead add ad a
Live lived veiled deviled and reviled
Knew knew new
Sympathy grows closer with an e
all of us junkies
made from drugs
electron bursts
in dreams of unknown hues
as i walk in deaths corroding shoes
I wasn't there again today
wonder what the man on the stair had to say
Thanksgiving Day has always been a special holiday
A long tradition celebrated with family in a joyful way
In my younger years we went to my grandparent’s house
When I was young and single and later on with my spouse
Grampa Joe would make homemade coleslaw and pickles
And then played cribbage games with my cousins for nickels
Mema’s home was decorated early with wonderful Christmas cheer
Every wall with reds and greens and a collection of Santa’s everywhere
Decades passed, my Mema became a widow, then moved and lived alone
It was now my turn to cook our traditional meal at my early decorated home
Turkey, stuffing, harvard beets, stuffed celery, deviled eggs and the fixings too
Now a new Thanksgiving tradition, I hoped for many years, but only just a few
We lost Mema a few years ago, Thanksgiving now feels different, so bittersweet
We spent last Thanksgiving home alone with some traditional fixings and treats
We hope to still spend Thanksgiving days with my Dad and our family together
I will cherish my years of Thanksgiving Memories, they are in my heart forever
10/28/19
Contest: Thanksgiving Memory Contest
Sponsor: Regina Riddle
This is how it will all end
lacquer looking glass
boundary waters
warm glows
green with envy
molten grasslands
sea foam blazen
Atomic spot light sun rays
Raven wings snow day glacier
Nuclear deviled eggs, inflamed snow angel
Prickly pear jasmine, lavender pearly gates
This is how it will all end
9/28/19
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. ©2019
Conceived with Paint Chip Poetry™ by Lea Redmond
Stew in the pot
Potatoes in the oven
It’s nearly six o’clock
The apartment looks like heaven
Flowers in place
Candle lights for two
Soft music on the radio
Of love we’ll sip its brew
The buzzer sounds inside of me
My heart beats to the door
There stands a beautiful woman
With a smile that I adore
Like a magnate pulls the clip
Our eyes locked in a stare
We kissed the kiss of Angels
And Deviled in the bed
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