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Open Poetry #14
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Summer '65 ... Elderberry Time ... Part Two
| Open Poetry #14 |
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Summer '65 ... Elderberry Time ... Part Two |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart 
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Summer ’65 ~ Elderberry Time ~ Part Two You whistled softly on our return home, me, then and there wondering at, ‘we will pick a few’ now what will the response be ~ a whole truckload of elderberries, knowing we had company/friends residing good thing, friends, residing…me, starting to itch, here, in these shorts! Dad! You did not say, “wear long pants!” aren’t you supposed to watch over me? I’m just a kid! and here, now, then, standing in poisoned oak… my words I would not let on, that you would not let on, that neither of us thought of it…I loved you [love you] too much [who would I tell, today], but you fretted and worried as I started to scratch, saying “wait, wait, we will bathe you” in Fels Naptha I cannot wait [the scars still show] and the itching began… but the memories stay….of elderberry time…. me scratching, gritching…don’t let me lose in on the fun of the take of the berries, don’t let me have to shower under stinky Fels Naptha…. parents reign, showers rained, poisoned oak had set in… elderberries setting in truck…once the disclaimer of “she’s ok!” set in, all got to set hand at unburdening the truck of its load, cleansing the berries “put them under the hose!” picking them up from the crates and boxes “what to do!?” from mother, “jelly them” said dad, “wine!” said our company/friends…and the re/search began! deciding of the jell approach, some to be jarred [the ripest] in the way of grapes, holding back those still hardy for a moment or two next day, research begat [begat!] a harvest of elderberry knowledge books lugged home from library [I am still itching] and decidedly… we found in the text that reached back a hundred years…. to use “cheesecloth….crocks….put behind the stove for warmth Monday and Thursday mornings being bread days… stir while the bread rises”…. asterisks were four (****) on the recipe, we didn’t research it at the moment of the crushing, holding, heating, pouring… until after the fact…. “recipe from 1868…” four star meaning [museum piece] not used any longer…. who knew? so to begin, we had no cheesecloth at hand, what next best? why clean diaper material, of course, laying the clusters of purple in, wrap, twist, twist, twist over large containers, purpling juice marking the cloth, dripping clean….smelling of summer smiles…. don’t even ask to look at the residue left behind, but know that what it was contained therein, no longer the beautiful miniature purple cluster, looked as if it now had belonged there all along… the book, soon returned to library shelves, after furious notes taken, as to when to stir, when to bottle….stirring was fun….we argued our turns, us kids, you having put the crocks under the water heater, raised over where potatoes were kept in the back laundry room… we would walk out, acting “silly” over the smell….I remember, wondering [where is the fungi!] that I had learned of in school, not knowing what was killing it off….and then bottling day came, our company/friends/residents/book were gone only family left behind, hoping for the best, mother scanning her notes…. to be continued…. In memory, Dad….thank you…. |
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| © Copyright 2001 Karilea Rilling Jungel - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774Ontario, Canada |
Ah Karilea ... you've described this all so vividly! Wonderful stories of your youth, and brought to mind many a day in my grandmother's kitchen, peeking over the counter while perilously perched on a stool. Helping hands ... food is all the sweeter when made with love. Yes ... I truly enjoyed this, can you tell?  Best wishes, /Kit |
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Tiersdin Member Elite
since 2000-11-17
Posts 2364east coast |
Hello Sunshine! What a lovely follow up to the first poem! enjoyed greatly! ~Tier |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
Karilea wonderful story. Too bad about the poison I know what that's like..... it's nice to read poems like this that involve the family and the wonderful memories that are stored from such closeness! Once again very well written! |
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Auguste 
since 2000-02-16
Posts 3953By the sea |
Karilea, In many ways this reminds me of my own childhood. Simply wonderful writing! Your father would be so proud of you. Thank you. Michael Proust- |
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SEA
Moderator
Member Seraphic
since 2000-01-18
Posts 22676with you |
so wonderful....the connections in this are amazing....reminds me so much of my family....love this..can't wait for #3!  |
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Marsha
since 2000-07-10
Posts 7423Maidstone Kent England |
Kari dear heart, I've read these out of sequence, how unusual, but not for me, Love this utterly love it, written in your unique way. Absolutely perfect. A positively shining example of your writing love. I love these stories I can imagine sitting at your feet listening spellbound Now on to find the other 2? well, whatever onward to more enchantment love and warm stuff always Puck   Take back the hope you gave,- I claim |
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Interloper
since 2000-11-06
Posts 8369Deep in the heart |
Lovely. Fool, said my Muse to me, look in thy heart and write. Philip Sidney (1554-1586) Loving in Truth |
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