I'm trying something new, taking a risk this month - participating in#VerseLove with Sarah Donovan,
hoping to write poetry every day this April.
Today's challenge is to write a poem in the style of Frank O'Hara's Having a Coke with You. My goodness, the prompt was custom-made for writing about my husband and his daily Coke!
Having a Coke with you,
is even more insightful than your words,
the way you always,
whether in Italy,
Costa Rica,
a family vacation,
a day trip for hiking,
in our kitchen,
it makes no difference,
you always,
every single day,
indulge,
such ritual,
the way you
lay a napkin on the table
place the glass squarely on the napkin,
fill the glass with ice,
there must, must, must be ice,
then,
slowly,
pour,
just to the edge of the top of the ice,
leaving some deliciousness
still in the bottle,
sip,
savor,
then tell me that
these are your Georgia roots,
Coke is a Georgia thing,
there's only Coke
there is no other,
then,
of course,
you refill the glass
before the ice melts,
until the bottle is empty,
kindly wipe down the table
with the damp napkin,
tend to the glass,
one satisfies.
You are
thoughtful,
committed,
caring, and
full of love and
good cheer.
Must be the Coke,
which is why I'm telling you about it.
glenda funk, from Sarah Donovan's Poetry website:
ReplyDeleteMaureen,
This is wonderful and insightful. I love the listing of places leading to the specific concrete details of the daily coke ritual and ending w/ abstract qualities, such as thoughtfulness. I love the way you stretch the poem into a tall form that also emphasizes the longevity of your relationship. Thank you.
—Glenda
kimjohnson66, from Sarah Donovan's poetry website:
ReplyDeleteMaureen, this could be the next big marketing campaign for Coca-Cola. This snapshot that you have given us:
you always,
every single day,
indulge,
such ritual,
the way you
lay a napkin on the table
place the glass squarely on the napkin,
fill the glass with ice,
there must, must, must be ice,
then,
slowly,
pour,
just to the edge of the top of the ice,
leaving some deliciousness
still in the bottle,
sip,
savor,
then tell me that
these are your Georgia roots
The words that stand out most to me: savor and Georgia roots. Absolutely captivating, and please – – give your husband a Georgia high-five from me. I’m sure that he has shared with you our common tradition of putting salted peanuts directly in our Cokes as we drink them. People always ask me if that’s really a thing, and it really is. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn sang about it, too. I adore this poem and that you found a way to honor Georgia in there! Dr. Pemberton would be so proud! I seriously think you ought to send this to the Coca Cola company.
I am fascinated by the details of the poem and how it makes me think of a coke bottle due to the linear structure. (Another person also commented on the beauty of the form. It works so well.) That you turn this poem into a declaration of love, is the fun surprise twist that characterizes so many of your poem. Leaving me with a Coke and a smile.
ReplyDelete