Thanksgiving in my family is
diced giblets floating in buttered broth, celery, and cubed bread stuffing
Tom turkey stuffed and trussed and baked to tender perfection
It’s crackly skin oozing juice
It’s peeled boiled and mashed potatoes
seasoned gravy made from pan drippings,
crunchy french-fried onions atop green beans,
swimming in mushroom soup, marshmallow streaked yams
chilled cranberry sauce
Ted’s chocolate cream and Safeway’s cherry pie,
its delicate chocolate hazelnut crème filled pirouette wafers,
orange sherbet, lactose-free vanilla ice cream with hot fudge.
Its Sparkling cider, vanilla macadamia, and chocolate raspberry coffee
Earl Grey and orange spice teas
So EAT like there’s no tomorrow, and then
put the fork down and eat some tums
Because Thanksgiving is a time to be together with family and friends,
It is a time to give thanks
to celebrate and reconnect
pull out the cell phone and CALL relatives
neighbors
the friend you were mad at
It is a time to remember those who are less fortunate
to pardon the unpardonable, to set aside differences
to come together and share the joy and the bounty of the harvest.
Thanksgiving my dears is a time
to reset priorities
it is a time to plan, store up for the winter
to move ahead
to watch the parade
the game
smoke that pipe
swallow that pride
to be fully present in this chapter that is your life.
TODAY, NOW
before the sun sets
the moon rises
the tide turns
the next tidal wave
disaster hits or some
motherless zombie comes to feast on your thigh bone
so be thankful for what you have
and remember to clean your plate
People are starving in China, Africa, and India.
people are dying in wars
people who have given their LIVES
So that we can eat turkey, put up lights and shop at the Mall.
so enjoy your Thanksgiving and be thankful, because we have much still
to be grateful for.
©Cornelia Connie D. DeDona 11/22/12
