Seven Sundays, Past

A collection of vignettes

I.  Easter

grits'n gravy, with
slabs of country ham
fresh sliced tomato
biscuits 'n' damson preserves

good for the soul
as Sunrise Service

II.  1934

the tin roofed homestead
on the Old Plank Road
still mourns ~

seven orphans were scattered
to the wind

Ol' Miss Melissa
starved and worked
Mother half to death
before Aunt Effie found her

III.  Tea Dance

debutantes and cadets
waltzed on the mezzanine

while the town girls shared sodas
and jitterbugged with the boys
down at the diner

girls in the hollow diapered babies
and flat footed to fiddle tunes

IV.   Dinner on the grounds

oaks as old as Methueslah, shaded tables
that buckled under old family recipes

Preacher says grace ~

the sin of gluttony, joyfully commited
in front of God and everybody, Amen

V.   Family Secret

she gave up the ghost, alone
Aunt Jen and Momma found her after church

whispy white hair, neat ~
lace at the collar and cuff
they twisted the pint jar
out of her hand,

replaced it with her Bible
before anyone was called

VI.   Granny Potter

seventh daughter of a seventh daughter,
born on the seventh day

she cured carbuncles,
drew out fire and delivered babies

never took a dime,
but had a great fondness
for store-bought hankies

VII.   Sunday afternoon, a box of pictures

a hound bays in the distance,
I shudder as rain descends the mountain

like the curtain falls at the end of a play

 

 

 

Author's Note

critque welcome and encourgaged

Reviews

[DeeWV]

Luna,

These are so vibrant, each one a slice of life that lets the reader
step into the moment. I see moments of my great grandmother Mary Jane Lewis here.
Excellent work!

DeeWV

[Julius Whitfield]

I like this a lot. Its good to get back here and find writing that has a sort of rich, mesmeric sophistication to it.

[W.k.kortas]

What Em says; these vignettes are (being vignettes, after all) economical, yet highly visual-- a combination that is no mean feat. Fine, fine work.

[Emily B]

I grew up reading the Kentucky writers that were displayed proudly on my library shelves. And stopped going back to see what more modern shelves carried.

The Appalachian Heritage magazine is printed right down the road from where I work. This work is as good as anything I've read in there. And they have some mighty fine work. I just finished reading their Summer 2008 edition, dedicated to the Affrilachian Poets. There is a story in that one titled "Dinner on the Grounds". A curious coincidence. :)

All of these vignettes are superb.