I Miss You, Great Pumpkin

Just missing those days when the kids were little; when carving pumpkins, finding a Halloween costume and watching Charlie Brown were annual autumn rituals.

Steam on the kitchen window
and clouds in my oatmeal form
wispy-haired ghosts of autumn past,

making me weepy for those visits
to Pumpkinland with sweatered toddlers
in tow, in search of the perfect candidate 
for a Jack-o-lantern or Thanksgiving pie
or even a carriage for Cinderella.

These days the house is no longer haunted.
Oatmeal is not the breakfast of heroes,
and the pumpkin pudding lacks nothing 
except the gouges from dimpled fingers 
too quick for mom to lick.

I carve a jagged smile in the steam on the window.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

I miss you.

Reviews

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Lisa... very nostalgic... like the song, "Hello country bumpkin...
how's the frost upon the pumpkin".. We just had our first frost...
Mittens are warming up... Christmas trees are being cut.
Turkey with dressing and Cranberry sauce. Pilgrim prayers are on
the program... Musical concerts are in the air... Violins and base clarinets...
little drummer boys rejoice. May your season be pleasant. truly, Pat

[Lisa Lindsey]

Pat, your words read like a homemade Christmas card... Thank you so much. I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

[Patricia Wedel]

May you and yours rejoice in the spirit of
Thanksgiving. Congratulations on your
great grandchild. as ever, Pat

[Chris]

You "touched" on the memories of existence quite well - and with heart.

[Hi]

I like this. It has just enough metaphor to give it poetic charm, but tells a simple story of fondness and remembrance. Thanks.

[Lisa Lindsey]

Matt, thanks for the great review! And sorry for the late reply!

[Samuel Dickens]

Very well written, you've captured a feeling familiar to a lot of us. Your mention of Jack-o-lanterns and Thanksgiving pie made me smile, as I thought how mother would cook our jack-o-lantern right after Halloween and keep the pulp in the fridge until Thanksgiving. The last three very poignant lines made my heart ache a little.

[Lisa Lindsey]

Thanks Samuel. Your words brought back another vivid memory because my mother did exactly the same! Thanks for the lovely review. Happy early Thanksgiving!

[Lydia Shutter]

Heavy sigh....we remember the days when they were small and we saw the world through their eyes. Those ghosts of autumns past are not scary, but they surely are bittersweet. What a poignant beauty of a write. Lydi**

[Lisa Lindsey]

Thank you, Lydi. You know it. Those ghosts of the past are bittersweet indeed. Thank you.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I miss those days too, Lisa. Being thousands of miles away from my hometown and friends, such times of the season take on a whole new meaning. But I can always go back in time for a feel good feeling, whenever I read you!

Here's to oatmeal always being the breakfast of heroes...and to Charlie Brown! ; )

[Lisa Lindsey]

I can't remember if I told you that I have a GREAT grandson now, Kelly. Calvin is 18 months and we paid a visit to Pumpkinland this past weekend. The Great Pumpkin lives on! Thanks so much for your comments which I always treasure.