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I do love all the description in this poem and agree with Chris that I can see three poems in here. This feels a lot like a menagerie piece, like you looked on an old shelf and found these things and sat down to write the memories of them in one piece. They'd
be exquisite as their own stand-alone parts maybe in a series piece or their own individual pieces. Nice work. <br>
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<div dir="ltr">Barbara Hammel
<div><span style="font-size: 17pt;">We are all but characters in the books of God’s library. — Chris Colfer </span></div>
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<blockquote type="cite">On Oct 13, 2022, at 13:36, Ann Chiappetta via Stylist <stylist@nfbnet.org> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">The Masher’s Last Stan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">By Ann Chiappetta<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Blog: <a href="https://www.thought-wheel.com/the-mashers-last-stand/">
https://www.thought-wheel.com/the-mashers-last-stand/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I learned to cook prior to food preparation machines and commercial blenders
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We used whisks, hand-crank mixers and potato mashers. I stood on the Romper Room emblazoned stool beside Mom until my little arms tired. I whipped cream, eggs, and sifted flour. I was practicing to be a Suzie Homemaker, don’t you know.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After my parents divorced and we moved into an apartment, the budding skills became necessity. At nine I learned to scramble eggs, boil water for macaroni, and help make<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">meatloaf and meatballs. The spoon with the little holes and the potato masher made the move with us.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I estimate the utensils are over fifty years old, the spoon is solid stainless riveted to hardwood handle grips. The masher is also riveted and sturdy, not even a bit of rust.
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<p class="MsoNormal">Dad’s carpenter’s measuring stick given to him by his father<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">was the final tool<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Laid in a reverent place among elderly scrapers, hammers and planers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bobby, said a friend, your making mistakes, get rid of that thing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The measuring tape wasn’t as fun to play with<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And pinched my tender fingers more than once<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dad would release the stop and we listened to it retract as if by magic and<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He would chuckle and say something about<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The wonders of modern technology<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then whip out the stubby pencil from behind an ear, mark the wood<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">clip it back to his waist and return to work with the hand saw.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I pretended the curled papery bits from shaving the wood<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">that fell like<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dogwood petals onto the shop floor were<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Secret messages from fairies or a mouse<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I put them to my nose and inhaled the fragrances <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cedar or pine was the best<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pop gardened and gave me the first taste of fresh mint<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Strawberries warmed and sweetened by the sun<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pickled cucumbers in jars so big a child’s hands could not <o:p>
</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">carry or open them <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My little fingers squeezed<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lupini beans from their casings as directed<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By the little Italian lady visiting<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From next-door<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">and my lips tingled from<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">a bit of afternoon antipasto <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">and my confidence was tempered<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">by losing a few hands of Casino<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I tried buying lupini beans and couldn’t find them<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though I remember the card game rules and pulpy fragrant<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Refinements Of the shop<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And how attached I am to a few outdated implements<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The telltale products of my youth.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Anniecms64@gmail.com">Anniecms64@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Ann M. Chiappetta, M.S.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Making Meaningful ConnectionsThrough Media
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<p class="MsoNormal">914.393.6605 USA<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Anniecms64@gmail.com">Anniecms64@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All things Annie: <a href="http://www.annchiappetta.com">www.annchiappetta.com</a>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Ann M. Chiappetta, M.S.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Making Meaningful ConnectionsThrough Media
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">914.393.6605 USA<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Anniecms64@gmail.com">Anniecms64@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All things Annie: <a href="http://www.annchiappetta.com">www.annchiappetta.com</a>
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