Thanksgiving Poem: Beat of the Pumpkin Drum

big orange, Illinois,

rotund autumnal 

heartland center,

pumpkin territory.

August’s thrum begins to drum

against tough hides

of pumpkin acres,

the ripening signal.

tiniest ones line window sills 

along back porch halls,

while grandest usher

Cinderella on route to the ball.

the beat continues through harvest time,

as burners heat for packing plant’s

canning extravaganza,

on behalf of la calabaza.

raza rise from the south,

close to pumpkin’s native birthplace,

up to its new home north, factory rat race,

with 10 weeks of good wages in the bargain.

heat and jargon turn up pressure gauges,

the beat rages 

over 12-hour days, seven a week,

pumpkin gold catches its fall winning streak.

men and women line up

for cleanin’, slicin’, sortin’ 

up here in Morton, Illinois, 

not a mecca of salt,

but perhaps sweat and tears,

where workers keep returning

after 10 and 20 years.

they’ve even built a church around it

in old Soledad,

with money from 

la calabaza, el norte and God.

by November, raza again heads south to Mexico,

the Morton factory turns quiet,

while throughout the USA, another riot,

as cans of pumpkin fly off grocery shelves.

creamy, cooked and canned,

the forefront of another Thanksgiving,

lending America a hand,

to make a pie, then get on with real living.

it’s the grand finale course in West Virginia, 

Washington, Wyoming, with ample room for 

another slice of pumpkin pie, then back to video games, 

hour-long naps and sinks full of smeared-up dishes.

how is it that no one asks or wishes

to know where pumpkins start out

or who brought them to the end of the line.

please pass the wine.

after the last empty can’s discarded

and final hunk of pie digested,

the workers will still be fully vested,

with another hefty slice of cash,

for their annual 10-week drill,

when the autumn beat 

resumes

in Morton, Ill.

##

                           ~ Cynthia Gallaher

"Beat of the Pumpkin Drum" originally appear in Big Scream magazine and as part of my full collection Epicurean Ecstasy: More Poems About Food, Drink, Herbs & Spices (The Poetry Box, Portland)

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Thanksgiving Poem: Beat of the Pumpkin Drum

Make a special Thanksgiving journal entry

When we think of Thanksgivings of the past, our memories can often blur into visual "bytes" of rising before sun-up, basting turkeys, cooking down cranberries into a sauce, hanging harvest decorations, watching a wave of people rush into and then out of the house, washing and drying dishes in a bright, steamy kitchen, and laughing with others, like yourself, festively dressed in fashionable high heels, but also in slightly worn-torn aprons.

But what does Thanksgiving really mean to those partaking in the meal with you? There's a special window of time during Thanksgiving when you can find out. You know that time in between the Thanksgiving meal itself and dessert, when you need to digest the first part of your meal before you can even think about cutting into the pumpkin pie? Instead of rushing off to watch the football game or get a jump on loading the dishwasher, grab your journal and instruct everyone at the table to "set a spell" to talk about the things that they are most thankful for this year. Write them down in your journal.

Or, ask everyone if they can recall their most memorable Thanksgiving (outside of this year's!) and why. You may find out some interesting anecdotes about your relatives that can help you appreciate them even more. You might even hear stories from the old-timers about those who have passed on whom you may have never met. The practical joke Great-Uncle Joe pulled 50 years ago could sound remarkably like something you, your son or your niece might pull today. More than looks often run in the family.

Sometimes Thanksgiving is the only time the whole family really gets together, and it's a day that often goes by far too swiftly. If you record some of what people say and do during Thanksgiving, you can savor the day longer and your relationships more deeply.

Forget videocams. They put people on the defensive and no one feels comfortable enough to say anything substantial in front of them. Plus, hardly anyone ever looks at them again once the camera is put away. On the other hand, people open up when you sit down at a relaxed table and chew the fat (and the Turkey bones), as you just happen to jot down a few notes in your journal all the while! ◦

Make a special Thanksgiving journal entry

Thanksgiving Weekend Journal

When we think of Thanksgivings of the past, our memories can often blur into visual "bytes" of rising before sun-up, basting turkeys, cooking down cranberries into a sauce, hanging harvest decorations, watching a wave of people rush into and then out of the house, washing and drying dishes in a bright, steamy kitchen, and laughing with others, like yourself, festively dressed in fashionable high heels, but also in slightly worn-torn aprons. But what does Thanksgiving really mean to those partaking in the meal with you?

There's a special window of time during Thanksgiving when you can find out. You know that time in between the Thanksgiving meal itself and dessert, when you need to digest the first part of your meal before you can even think about cutting into the pumpkin pie? Instead of rushing off to watch the football game or get a jump on loading the dishwasher, grab your journal and instruct everyone at the table to "set a spell" to talk about the things that they are most thankful for this year. Write them down in your journal.

Or, ask everyone if they can recall their most memorable Thanksgiving (outside of this year's!) and why. You may find out some interesting anecdotes about your relatives that can help you appreciate them even more. You might even hear stories from the old-timers about those who have passed on whom you may have never met. The practical joke Great-Uncle Joe pulled 50 years ago could sound remarkably like something you, your son or your niece might pull today. More than looks often run in the family.

Sometimes Thanksgiving is the only time the whole family really gets together, and it's a day that often goes by far too swiftly. If you record some of what people say and do during Thanksgiving, you can savor the day longer and your relationships more deeply.Forget videocams. They put people on the defensive and no one feels comfortable enough to say anything substantial in front of them. Plus, hardly anyone ever looks at them again once the camera is put away. On the other hand, people open up when you sit down at a relaxed table and chew the fat (and the Turkey bones), as you just happen to jot down a few notes in your journal all the while!

◦

Thanksgiving Weekend Journal