Monday, November 19, 2007

Thanksgiving poems

I watch Home for the Holidays and also for some reason, the Big Chill around this time of year. And I was thinking about that the other day when I came across this post by the Academy of American Poets about Thanksgiving poems. But they didn't have this one by Lucille Clifton. I like it because it is sad and happy and to me that's what holidays always feel like. The good ones anyway.

The lesson of the falling leaves


The leaves believe
such letting go is love
such love is faith
such faith is grace
such grace is god

I agree with the leaves.


Okay that's the end of the poem. What are your Thanksgiving stories, movies, poems? What's in your bag of tricks? Or is it just me?

4 comments:

cdee said...

Tom and I are in Ohio, b/c, joy of all joys, Arkansas State has a week long Thanksgiving break. Thursday it's supposed to snow all day: this is my new expectation of what Thanksgiving is about. Also we're going to get to see the Dylan movie later in the week, and that makes me happy.

I tried to recall some strong, happy Thanksgiving memories, and it seems they aren't available. Though I do remember a terrible Thanksgiving moment when I was, let's say, six and my dad was adamant I try a sweet potatoe.

I'm sure I had plenty of happy Thanksgivings, I just can't remember them.

What Thanksgiving food do you guys most loathe?

wabby said...

Tofu turkey. I think this was in the early 90s when people still tried to make bean and grain products taste like meat instead of just sticking with the vegetarian is interesting in and of it self idea. So Mom made a tofu turkey and it was gross. And we were staying in a camper trailer thing. So kitchen space was a problem. And that's why we had instant mashed potatoes, instead of the real thing. But my mom, who is the queen of frugal bought the instant potatoes at a food salvage store and they were stale. So I think we ended up eating canned yams, cranberry sauce and tuna sandwiches. And some of their friends, this was when lesbians were rare in my county, came over and I remember that one of them was a chemist and had invented some deck spray or wood protector and I was excited to meet an inventor/chemist but she turned out to be uninterested in talking to me, me being like 14 and very disappointed about the fake turkey.

molfe said...

mince meat pie, which we always have to buy so my uncle can have one slice. i don't like its presence.

the only thanksgiving that stands out was when i was studying abroad in england and our group went to an applebees or chilis or something for dinner. it was incredibly sad, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. afterwards, because things are open and running in england on thanksgiving (which was baffling for some of the group to wrap their heads around), a few of us went to a play. I spent the first part of the first half telling kevin to leave, because he was drunk and heckling. Finally he was escorted out of the theatre. He also got arrested that night, and later, on a sidetrip to Bath, he got bethany pregnant.

cdee said...

that's awesome!!

this is not about thanksgiving, and can't come near beating you two's stories.
BUT: pretend this craziness happened on Thanksgiving and pretend it is my story to tell:

Dude, Jack got bit by a squirrel.
(Ask her about it)